A system for developing industrial applications, comprising: a memory that stores executable components; and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising: a user interface component configured to render an industrial integrated development environment, IDE, development interface and to receive, via interaction with the development interface, industrial design input that defines aspects of an industrial automation project, wherein the development interface comprises: one or more workspace canvases configured to facilitate development of a selected aspect of the industrial automation project, and an explorer panel that facilitates browsing of elements of the industrial automation project; a project generation component configured to generate a system project based on the industrial design input; and a project deployment component configured to: identify industrial devices (118, 114, 710) to which respective portions of the system project are to be sent for execution, translate said respective portions to formats understandable by the industrial devices, and deploy the translated respective portions to their corresponding industrial devices; wherein the explorer panel comprises explorer icons (1904; 2202; 2502; 2702; 2802) rendered on an explorer view control bar, the explorer icons representing respective different viewing categories supported by the explorer panel, and selection of an explorer icon, of the explorer icons, causes browsable project content associated with a viewing category of the explorer icon to be rendered in the explorer panel. a memory that stores executable components; and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising: a user interface component configured to render an industrial integrated development environment, IDE, development interface and to receive, via interaction with the development interface, industrial design input that defines aspects of an industrial automation project, wherein the development interface comprises: one or more workspace canvases configured to facilitate development of a selected aspect of the industrial automation project, and an explorer panel that facilitates browsing of elements of the industrial automation project; a project generation component configured to generate a system project based on the industrial design input; and a project deployment component configured to: identify industrial devices (118, 114, 710) to which respective portions of the system project are to be sent for execution, translate said respective portions to formats understandable by the industrial devices, and deploy the translated respective portions to their corresponding industrial devices; wherein the explorer panel comprises explorer icons (1904; 2202; 2502; 2702; 2802) rendered on an explorer view control bar, the explorer icons representing respective different viewing categories supported by the explorer panel, and selection of an explorer icon, of the explorer icons, causes browsable project content associated with a viewing category of the explorer icon to be rendered in the explorer panel. a user interface component configured to render an industrial integrated development environment, IDE, development interface and to receive, via interaction with the development interface, industrial design input that defines aspects of an industrial automation project, wherein the development interface comprises: one or more workspace canvases configured to facilitate development of a selected aspect of the industrial automation project, and an explorer panel that facilitates browsing of elements of the industrial automation project; one or more workspace canvases configured to facilitate development of a selected aspect of the industrial automation project, and an explorer panel that facilitates browsing of elements of the industrial automation project; a project generation component configured to generate a system project based on the industrial design input; and a project deployment component configured to: identify industrial devices (118, 114, 710) to which respective portions of the system project are to be sent for execution, translate said respective portions to formats understandable by the industrial devices, and deploy the translated respective portions to their corresponding industrial devices; identify industrial devices (118, 114, 710) to which respective portions of the system project are to be sent for execution, translate said respective portions to formats understandable by the industrial devices, and deploy the translated respective portions to their corresponding industrial devices; wherein the explorer panel comprises explorer icons (1904; 2202; 2502; 2702; 2802) rendered on an explorer view control bar, the explorer icons representing respective different viewing categories supported by the explorer panel, and selection of an explorer icon, of the explorer icons, causes browsable project content associated with a viewing category of the explorer icon to be rendered in the explorer panel.