INPUT DESIGN

1. INPUT DESIGN

2. Input Design • Define the appropriate format and media for a computer input. • Understand the difference between data capture, data entry, and data input. • Identify and describe several automatic data collection technologies.

3. Apply human factors to the design of computer inputs. • Design internal controls for computer inputs. • Select proper screen-based controls for input attributes that are to appear on a GUI input screen. • Design a web-based input interface.

4. Data Capture and Data Entry Data capture – the identification and acquisition of new data (at its source). • Source documents – forms used to record business transactions in terms of data that describe those transactions.

5. Data entry – the process of translating the source data or document (above) into a computer readable format. • Data processing – is all processing that occurs on the data after it is input from a machine readable form.

6. In batch processing, the entered data is collected into files called batches and processed as a complete batch. • In on-line processing, the captured data is processed immediately • In remote batch processing, data is entered and edited on-line, but collected into batches for subsequent processing.

7. Input Implementation Methods • Keyboard • Mouse • Touch Screen • Point-of-sale terminals • Sound and speech • Automatic data capture

8. Optical mark recognition (OMR) • Bar codes • Optical character recognition (OCR) • Magnetic Ink • Smart cards • Biometric

9. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

10. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

11. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

12. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

13. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

14. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

15. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

16. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

17. Taxonomy for Computer Inputs

18. Input Design Guidelines • Capture only variable data. • Not data that can be looked up. • Do not capture data that can be calculated or stored in computer programs as constants. • Extended Price, Tax Withholding, etc. • Use codes for appropriate attributes.

19. Source Document / Form Design Guidelines • Include instructions for completing the form. • Minimize the amount of handwriting. • Data to be entered (keyed) should be sequenced top-to-bottom and left-to-right. • When possible use designs based on known metaphors.

20. Good Flow in a Form

21. Bad Flow in a Form

22. Internal Controls for Inputs • The number of inputs should be known (to minimize risk of lost transactions). • For batch processing • Use batch control slips • Use one-for-one checks against post-processing detail reports

23. For on-line systems • Log each transaction as it occurs to a separate audit file • Validate all data • Existence checks • Data-type checks • Combination checks • Self-checking digits • Format checks

24. Common GUI Controls (Windows and Web) • Text boxes • Radio buttons • Check boxes • List boxes • Drop down lists • Combination boxes • Spin boxes • Buttons

25. Common GUI Controls Uses • Text boxes • When the input data values are unlimited in scope • Radio buttons • When data has limited predefined set of mutually exclusive values

26. Common GUI Controls Uses • Check boxes • When value set consists of a simple yes or no value • List boxes • When data has a large number of possible values

27. Drop down lists • When data has large number of possible values and screen space is too limited for a list box • Combination boxes • When need to provide the user with option of selecting a value from a list or typing a value that may or may not appear in the list

28. Spin boxes • When need to navigate through a small set of choices or directly typing a data value

29. Advanced Controls (mostly Windows interfaces) • Drop down calendars • Slider edit controls • Masked edit controls • Ellipsis controls • Alternate numerical spinners • Check list boxes • Check tree boxes

30. Advanced Controls (mostly Windows interfaces)

31. Automated Tools for Input Design and Prototyping • Old Tools • Record Layout Charts • Display Layout Charts • Newer Prototyping Tools • Microsoft Access, CASE Tools, Visual Basic, Excel, Visio

32. Input Design Process • Identify system inputs and review logical requirements. • Select appropriate GUI controls. • Design, validate and test inputs using some combination of:

33. Layout tools (e.g., hand sketches, spacing charts, or CASE tools. • Prototyping tools (e.g., spreadsheet, PC DBMS, 4GL) • As necessary design source documents.

34. Design Process Cont…. • Develop prototype screens for users to review and test. Their feedback may result in the need to add new attributes and address their characteristics • To prototype input screens, the designer needs to let the user exercise or test the screens and this may involve demonstrating how the user may obtain appropriate help or instructions. • Prototypes need not display all the details to a user unless they are requested

35. Input Prototype for Video Title Maintenance

36. Input Prototype for Member Order

37. USER INTERFACE

38. User interface Technology • Types of User Interfaces • Guidelines for dialog Design • Feedback for users • Designing Queries

39. System User Classifications An expert user is an experienced computer user who will spend considerable time using specific application programs. The use of a computer is usually considered non-discretionary. In the mainframe computing era, this was called a dedicated user.

40. System User Classifications… The novice user (sometimes called a casual user) is a less experienced computer user who will generally use a computer on a less frequent, or even occasional, basis. The use of a computer may be viewed as discretionary (although this is becoming less and less true)

41. Designing effective interfaces System users often judge a system by its interface rather than its functionality Poor user interface design is the reason why so many software systems are never used A poorly designed interface can cause a user to make catastrophic errors Most users of business systems interact through graphical interfaces

42. User interface design process

43. Commandments of User Interface Design Understand your users and their tasks. Involve the user in interface design. Test the system on actual users. Practice iterative design.

44. Objectives to Address • Matching the user interface to the task • Making the user interface efficient • Providing appropriate feedback to users • Generating useable queries • Improving productivity of knowledgeable workers

45. A: Types of user interfaces:- • Natural Language interfaces • Question and answer interfaces • Menus • Form-fill interfaces(Input/Output forms • Command Language interfaces • Graphical User interfaces • Other user interfaces

46. Form-based interface example

47. Iconic Menus 47

48. Guidelines For Dialogue • Meaningful communication • Title for each display • Minimum use of abbreviations • Clear user feedback • Warning signs when the user enters the wrong information • Help menu • Clearly identifying key data such as date by slashes etc.

49. User-system interaction • Two problems must be addressed in interactive systems design • How should information from the user be provided to the computer system?

50. How should information from the computer system be presented to the user? • User interaction and information presentation may be integrated through a coherent framework such as a user interface metaphor