Usability of sub/nested grids

Question

Wanted to get some consensus around a UI feature I'm working on right now. The general idea is that I have a list of items, and you can select an item, and operate upon it. Currently, the sub functionality is implemented as a browser popup window. We've found that our users generally dislike having a ton of pop ups.

So with this new revision, I was thinking of moving the functionality from the separate popup into a subgrid that you can expand with each grid item. However, I'm worried that this is just trading one set of usability problems for another. I considered doing the classic master/detail style view ... but I personally really dislike those since you have travel so far from the point of you choosing the master record, to working on the detail.

So ... does anyone have any thoughts, experiences, or ideas they would like to share? :-D

Answer 1

Hi Joel,

I have used the scenario you mentioned in a grid. The client was happy and we have noticed that when the right color combination is even users did not have any problems. We used a telerik grid and provided functionality for this.

You can check a demo from telerik here: http://demos.telerik.com/aspnet-ajax/Grid/Examples/DataEditing/UserControlEditForm/DefaultCS.aspx

Do let me know if it works for you?

Ramjee