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Chapter 13:Chapter 13:Designing the Human Designing the Human

InterfaceInterface

Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design

Joey F. George, Dinesh Batra,

Joseph S. Valacich, Jeffrey A. Hoffer

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Chapter ObjectivesChapter Objectives– Explain form and report design, and apply general

guidelines for formatting forms and reports.– Explain effective text, table, and list formatting.– Explain interface and dialogue design, and apply

general guidelines for designing interfaces and dialogues.

– Explain common Web layout design errors, and common errors in developing Web interfaces.

– Design Web Interfaces using Coldfusion

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Fundamental Questions when Fundamental Questions when Designing Forms and ReportsDesigning Forms and Reports

1. Who will use the form or report?2. What is the purpose of the form or report?3. When is the form or report needed and

used?4. Where does the form or report need to be

delivered and used?5. How many people need to use or view the

form or report?

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Types of ReportsTypes of Reports Scheduled Reports

– Predefined interval presentation of routine information Key-Indicator Reports

– Summarize critical information on a recurring basis Exception Reports

– Highlight data outside normal operating range Drill Down Reports

– Provide details of summaries from key-indicator or exception reports

Ad Hoc Reports– Unplanned information requsts for nonroutine decisions

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Guidelines for Displaying TextGuidelines for Displaying Text Case – mixed upper/lower case, using conventional

punctuation

Spacing – double-space if possible, otherwise insert blank lines between paragraphs

Justification – left-justfiy with ragged right margins

Hyphenation – no hyphenation of words between lines

Abbreviations/Acronyms – only when commonly understood and significantly shorter than actual words

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Interface/Dialogue DesignInterface/Dialogue Design

– Layout (of widgets, text, and table data)– Structuring data entry (tab order)– Controlling data input (validation and

format controls)– Feedback (prompting, status, warning,

and error messages)– Dialogue sequencing

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Common Areas in FormsCommon Areas in Forms

Header informationSequence and time-related informationInstruction or formatting informationBody or data detailsTotals or data summaryAuthorization or signaturesComents

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A typical interface/dialogue design specification:

Similar to form design, but includes multiple forms and dialogue sequence specifications

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Feedback MessagesFeedback Messages

Status information – keep user informed of what’s going on, helpful when user has to wait for response

Prompting cues – tell user when input is needed, and how to provide the input

Warning or Error – informs user that something is wrong, either with data entry or system operation

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Guidelines for Dialogue DesignGuidelines for Dialogue Design– Consistency– Allow sequence, shortcuts, and reversals

in navigation– Frequent feedback– Logical grouping and sequencing of

diagrams, with beginning, middle, and end

– Comprehensive error handling– Maximize ease and control of use

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Designing Web LayoutsDesigning Web Layouts For e-commerce applications, web form is the contact

point between customer and companygood design is very important

But, rapid proliferation of web sites without corresponding increase in UI experts

Possible solutions:– Make Web design easy enough for non-UI experts– Train more people in Web design– Tolerate poorly-designed Web layouts

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Chapter 13

Design Web InterfacesDesign Web InterfacesDesign web interfaces using coldfusion with Dreamweaver and

Access- Create one database file (may only work for Access 2003 .mdb

file format). - In the Home directory (H:), create a directory called

“database”, then copy database file here.- Create data source and data name using Argus- Create html files with coldfusion and put these files in the Web

directory (I:)

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