System Analysis and Design

1. System Analysis and Design Input / Output Forms And User Interface Design

2. Input (Form) Design Objectives Input Design is the process of converting user originated inputs to a computer based format. Main objectives include: • Making completion easy and efficient • Assuring input meets the intended purpose • Assuring accurate completion • Making screens and forms attractive • Making input uncomplicated • Creating screens and forms that are consistent

3. Output (Report) Design Objectives • Designing reports to serve a specific purpose • Making reports meaningful to users • Delivering the appropriate quantity of reports • Providing appropriate output distribution • Providing output on time • Choosing the most effective output method

4. Designing Forms and Reports • Form and Report design are performed in the logical design phase. • Forms and Reports are integrally related to DFD and E-R diagrams.

5. Form and Report Overview • Form • A business document that contains some predefined data and may include some areas where additional data are to be filled in • An instance of a form is typically based on one database record • Report • A business document that contains only predefined data • A passive document for reading or viewing data • Typically contains data from many database records or transactions

6. Form/Report and DFD Relationship • Data input indicates forms while data output indicates reports. • Thus, prototypes are needed for designing forms and reports.

7. Forms and Reports Designing Process • Collect and analyze data needed • Determine requirements • Who will use the form or report? • What is the purpose of the form or report? • When is the report needed or used? • Where does the form or report need to be delivered and used? • How many people need to use or view the form or report? • Outline possible forms and reports • Follows a prototyping approach

8. Forms and Reports Designing Process • Prototyping • Initial prototype is designed from requirements • Users review prototype design and either accept the design or request changes • If changes are requested, the construction-evaluation-refinement cycle is repeated until the design is accepted

9. General Guidelines for Forms and Reports • Information Categories in Source Document • Internal Information • External Information • Hybrid Information • Information Mediums • Soft Copy (On Screen) • Hard Copy(Paper) • Rules in Designing Forms and Reports • Clear Titles • Contain needed information • Effective alignment and balanced structure • Easy to use

10. User Interface Design • User interface design is designing effective interfaces for software systems. • Objectives • To suggest some general design principles for user interface design • To explain different interaction styles • To introduce styles of information presentation • To introduce usability attributes and system approaches to system evaluation

11. Need for User Interface Design • System users often judge a system by its interface rather than its functionality • A poorly designed interface can cause a user to make illogical errors • Poor user interface design is the reason why so many software systems are never used • Most users of business systems interact with these systems through Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) • In some cases, legacy text-based interfaces are still used(CUIs)

12. GUI Characteristics

13. GUI advantages • They are easy to learn and use. • Users without experience can learn to use the system quickly. • The user may switch quickly from one task to another and can interact with several different applications. • Information remains visible in its own window when attention is switched. • Fast, full-screen interaction is possible with immediate access to anywhere on the screen

14. User Interface Design Process

15. UI design Principles • User familiarity • The interface should be based on user-oriented terms and concepts rather than computer concepts • E.g., an office system should use concepts such as letters, documents, folders etc. rather than directories, file identifiers, etc. • Consistency • The system should display an appropriate level of consistency • Commands and menus should have the same format, command punctuation should be similar, etc.

16. UI Design Principles (cont.) • Minimal surprise • If a command operates in a known way, the user should be able to predict the operation of comparable commands • Recoverability • The system should provide some resilience to user errors and allow the user to recover from errors • This might include an undo facility, confirmation of destructive actions, 'soft' deletes, etc.

17. UI Design Principles (cont.) • User guidance • Some user guidance such as help systems, on-line manuals, etc. should be supplied • User diversity • Interaction facilities for different types of user should be supported • E.g., some users have seeing difficulties and so larger text should be available

18. UI Design Principles (cont.) • Aesthetically Pleasing • Provide visual appeal by: • Providing meaningful contrast between screen elements • Creating groupings • Aligning screen elements and groups • Providing three-dimensional representation • Using colour and graphics effectively and simply

19. UI Design Principles (cont.) • Clarity • The interface should be visually, conceptually, and linguistically clear, including: • Visual elements • Functions • Words and text • Compatibility • Provide compatibility with the following: • The user • The task and job • The product • Adopt the user’s perspective

20. UI Design Principles (cont.) • Directness • Provide direct ways to accomplish tasks. • Available alternatives should be visible. • The effect of actions on objects should be visible. • Efficiency • Minimize eye and hand movements, and other control actions. • Transitions between various system controls should flow easily and freely. • Navigation paths should be as short as possible. • Eye movement through a screen should be obvious and sequential. • Anticipate the user’s wants and needs whenever possible.

21. UI Design Principles (cont.) • Familiarity • Employ familiar concepts and use a language that is familiar to the user • Keep the interface natural, mimicking the user’s behaviour patterns • Use real-world metaphors • Flexibility • A system must be sensitive to the differing needs of its users, enabling a level and type of performance based upon: • Each user’s knowledge and skills • Each user’s experience • Each user’s personal preference • Each user’s habits • The conditions at that moment

22. UI Design Principles (cont.) • Responsiveness • The system must rapidly respond to the user’s requests. • Provide immediate acknowledgment for all actions: • Visual • Textual • Auditory • Safety • Protect the user from making mistakes. • Provide visual cues • Reminders • Lists of choices • Other aids as necessary

23. UI Design Principles (cont.) • Transparency • Permit the user to focus on the task or job, without concern for the mechanics of the interface. • Workings and reminders of workings inside the computer should be invisible to the user • Trade-Offs • Final design will be based on a series of trade-offs balancing often-conflicting design principles. • People’s requirements always take precedence over technical requirements.