University of Liverpool Proposed New Library Interface

1
University of LiverpoolProposed New Library
Interface

• A Direct Manipulation based strategy

COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
2
Key Tasks
There are several key tasks that the current
library system interface performs.
Check your library record
Borrow a book
Renew a book
Suggest new books
Search for a book
COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
3
Task Operations
From these, I have decided to analyse these tasks
in turn.
Search for a book

• The steps involved with searching for a book are
• Step 1 Recall information about the book
• Step 2 Search for the book in the catalogue
• Step 3 Analyse the search results (NOT IN
  CURRENT INTERFACE

COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
4
Task Operations
From these, I have decided to analyse these tasks
in turn.
Borrow a book

• The steps involved with borrowing a book are
• Step 1 Check availability of the book after
  searching
• Step 2 Go to the shelf to pick up the book
• Step 3 Take the book out on loan (NOT IN
  CURRENT INTERFACE)

COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
5
Task Operations
From these, I have decided to analyse these tasks
in turn.
Check your Library record

• The steps involved with checking your Library
  record are
• Step 1 Recall personal ID and PIN
• Step 2 Enter the information into the system
• Step 3 Analyse the results displayed

COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
6
Interface Metaphor
I now have the task of designing a metaphor for
my new Library interface. This will be based
around the concept of a Bookshelf. The key ideas
of this are.
Bookmarks
Books
Different sizes
Bookshelf
Book-ends
Different colours
Index
Different shapes
COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
7
Interface Metaphor
Each of these key ideas will help the user relate
the property to the action they are performing.
Books
These will represent the physical books
themselves and are stored on the bookshelf.
This relates to the real life concept whereby the
books are stored in the bookshelves and have to
be taken off the shelf and taken out to be issued
to the user.
COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
8
Interface Metaphor
Each of these key ideas will help the user relate
the property to the action they are performing.
Different Characteristics
In the real life bookshelf, not all books will be
the same shape, size or colour. These differences
in characteristic could prove useful to the
interface if each type of book was allocated a
colour. For example. Green for Fiction Red for
Fact
COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
9
Interface Metaphor
Each of these key ideas will help the user relate
the property to the action they are performing.
Index
The University library will store many thousands
of items across many different physical
locations. When searching for a book, an index
of all available titles is searched for any
matches. In the same way, when opening a book and
looking for information, the index is consulted.
COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
10
Interface Metaphor
Each of these key ideas will help the user relate
the property to the action they are performing.
Bookends
These will represent the divisions between books
of different themes and subjects. In a real life
bookshelf, these are used exactly for this
purpose, and often have markers on them. When the
search results of the system are displayed, there
needs to be a similar division of results.
COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
11
Interface Design
I will now list the basic objects and attributes,
relations and actions that will be made available
to the user.
Objects and Attributes

• Books title, author
• Characteristics size, shape, colour
• Index classification, author
• Bookends theme, subject, type

COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
12
Interface Design
I will now list the basic objects and attributes,
relations and actions that will be made available
to the user.
Relationships

• Books Each book would represent a different
  section of the interface
• Characteristics A colour key could represent
  different types of book/functions in the system
• Index This can represent the library database
  containing information on all the available books
• Bookends Divisions between type/subject area on
  results screen with the use of a horizontal line

COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
13
Interface Design
I will now list the basic objects and attributes,
relations and actions that will be made available
to the user.
Actions

• Search for a book (Task 1)
• Borrow a book (Task 2)
• Check library record (Task 3)

COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16
14
Interface Mappings
I will now indicate the mappings from the
interface actions to the conceptual model actions.
COMP106 Assessment 2 Proposal 16