A Visual Interface for Deal Making

We assume that smart environments in combination with mobile devices will increasingly appear in contexts where interactions become transactions. Since most deal-making activities involve at least two parties and a process of negotiation, we propose a generic interface focusing on pre-negotiation, negotiation and contracting within

one

system. We present two prototypes based on the visual metaphor of a marketplace allowing for simple drag and drop actions. This combination of functionalities aims to bridge the gap between deal-making and its legal representation. Visualized interactive contracts introduced as a general convention may improve transparency of legal texts increasing the overall understanding and legal literacy of consumers and professionals alike. An intuitive visualization can differentiate between repetitive elements of standardized contracts, variables and amendments. The proposed platform is applicable to legal contractual contexts including b2b portals, ecommerce, online licensing agreements, financial instruments etc., and may help to transform social networks into transactional ones.