A user interface for viewing reference data associated with a conceptual entity and for execution of one or more complex processes for manipulating the data includes a process panel having one or more on-screen objects for the execution of the complex processes and a process work area for displaying a state of selected complex processes. A data viewer includes a content pane for the display of the reference data and one or more on-screen objects for selectively displaying at least a portion of the reference data and the process panel and data viewer are framed within a common window. The process panel and data viewer are selectably viewable and occupy overlapping positions within the common window.