complicated inventory question with groups of fields based on quantity

Question

I have an inventory system where items in the inventory have attributes. Think of an item as a photographer's photograph with multiple prints. Each item has:

Name

Date

Quantity

Price

Status [for sale, sold, not for sale]

Location

So the complicated issue is, how to allow for different Price, Status and Location for N number of the Quantity.

User flow example:
Photographer has a collection of 20 prints. They are shown at three different galleries, so let's say the data set looks like:

Title: Great Shot

Date: 2014

Quantity: 20

[5 of them have these attributes]

Price: $1,000; Location: Gallery 1; Status: 3 sold / 2 for sale

[5 of them have these attributes]

Price: $1,000; Location: Gallery 2; Status: 1 sold / 4 for sale

et cetera...

I am thinking that the form should build as is necessary, but it seems like a pretty complicated flow, especially for that status variable. I have attached an idea, but it looks a little too complicated to me and there seem to be too many clicks. My end users are not expected to have a ton of interface experience.

Answer 1

I think if you change to a subtractive model you can reduce the number of clicks.

For example, the "for sale" figure doesn't need to be entered, as it can be inferred based on the number assigned minus the number sold or not for sale.

Likewise, we don't need to ask how many are sent to each gallery unless there is more than one gallery present.

Initial Workflow

1. User enters quantity of 20 (This is the total pool available )
2. The total pool figure is automatically added to the "for sale" figure for gallery 1.
3. User enters 3 prints sold and 1 not for sale at gallery 1.
4. For sale figure automatically updates to 16.

^{download bmml source – Wireframes created with Balsamiq Mockups}

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User adds another gallery.

^{download bmml source}

1. A horizontal slider controls the number assigned to each gallery.
2. User reduces slider on first gallery to 10.
3. Text under slider reads "10 prints not assigned to a gallery"
4. "For sale" at gallery 1 updates to 7
5. User adds 10 "unassigned" prints to gallery 2 using slider

^{download bmml source}

This level of auto updating could be confusing, so the visual feedback and wording will need careful testing.