I have been asked to review an upload function.
The user can upload multiple files to a folder called a 'binder' using an uploader. This is called Add to Binder function.
A binder is just a shorthand way of saying it is a kind of folder that contains shortcuts to other documents in the system; the user adds to the binder by locating to these files. To be be clear: these files are not copied and moved across, just a metadata instance of them is inserted into the binder.
But the business requires that the user can add to the binder by uploading from their hard drive too. And this causes problems because the user cannot upload directly into the binder; s/he has to locate to the folder structure, upload there, then link that uploaded file to the binder. Here's a diagram:
This is a horrible workflow and one I must streamline
my question: is there a way of making this workflow fluid? one possible wireframe might be:
(left hand side is directory on system, right hand side is files to be added into the binder and attach file should really say add to binder for consistency)
The secondary function 'attach from local drive' launches another window where the user picks a local file then follows the workflow as in the first diagram (see? its getting MESSY)
OR: do I remove the attach from local drive function as the user should only be uploading into the directory structure during the times they are in folders, not binders.
EDIT
me and a colleague came up with a possible solution on click attach from local drive:
so on click the file will be autofiled in some default directory (by the system looking for a root directory folder the user has, for example but the user has an option to change if they need to) and at the same time the uploaded file will be added to the attach file to binder list shown in the first two wires.