COMP106 Assignment 2 A new interface design Proposal 6

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COMP106 Assignment 2 A new interface
designProposal 6
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What the user should be able to do
1. Direct access to reader account
In the real library scenario, the reader can
immediately make enquiries about their account
from the issue desk. Therefore, in order to
make the library web interface match the real one
as closely as possible, it should be possible for
the user to log into their account from the front
page of the online system. This can be achieved
through a form, similar to the search form, on
the front page which requests the users
University ID number and Library PIN number
This is the type of form that could be used to
achieve this implementation
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What the user should be able to do
2. Perform all important tasks from front page
In the real library scenario, any important task
that the user might need to carry out can be done
quickly and easily. For the online portal to be
able to fulfil this, the user must have quick and
easy access to the features of the portal from
the front page. Unlike the current portal, the
user must be able to choose from clear and basic
options on the front page of the interface
The buttons on the front page should be big, so
that the user can see the operations available to
them as soon as they enter the website.
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What the user should be able to do
3. Search from any page on the site
In the real library scenario, the user can stop
doing their currently task and start searching
for a new book at any time. For example, they may
be in the middle of searching for a book and then
decide that they wish to search for a different
book. To emulate this on the portal, there would
have to be a search box on every page. This could
easily be achieved using a form similar to that
present on the front page of the existing
site. When the user puts in the details and
press search, a lookup will be performed on the
library database and the results returned in the
browser window.
A simple search box like this could be added to
the bottom of every page.
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The filing cabinet metaphor
about the metaphor

• I decided to use the metaphor of a filing cabinet
  in the production of the new library interface. I
  feel that the filing cabinet is a good metaphor
  for a library because the share the following
  properties
• Both contain sorted records The records in a
  filing cabinet correspond to the books in the
  library
• Records can be removed and replaced Removing
  the records in the filing cabinet corresponds
  to borrowing a book in the library. Replacing
  the record corresponds to replacing the book
• Records can be searched In both a filing
  cabinet and the library, books are sorted and
  can therefore be easily searched. Alternatively,
  books which fall into a specific category can
  be browsed. Just like records in a filing
  cabinet

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The filing cabinet metaphor
Searching or browsing the library

• Just like searching through records in a filing
  cabinet, the library database can be searched in
  the same way.
• The user can choose either to search the whole
  filing cabinet (in the same way that the whole
  library would be searched), or to search only
  under a specific letter (the user would have to
  choose whether letters corresponded to Titles,
  Author etc).
• Alternatively the user could browse all records
  under a certain letter, in the same way that they
  would search all books under a certain letter.

Records in a filing cabinet are searched in a
similar way to books in a library database. They
are also both sorted so can be browsed based on
criteria, using the dividers.
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The filing cabinet metaphor
Borrowing a book
In a filing cabinet, the user has to firstly
locate the record and then take it out.
Similarly, in a library the user has to firstly
locate the book and then borrow it. Therefore,
the user must firstly locate the record in the
filing cabinet. There would then by an option
on the record to borrow (or at least reserve) the
book that is specified on the record.
Title Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy Author
Adams, Douglas Class No PR6051.D .H67 Date
1979 Status DUE 22-04-05
An example of what it could look like
REQUEST
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The filing cabinet metaphor
Returning a book
Returning a book can be done in a similar way to
borrowing a book. The user borrows records from
the filing cabinet and can view the records in
his/her account. The user can then renew the
book (record) by clicking the renew button
which would be present on the record.
Title Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy Author
Adams, Douglas Class No PR6051.D .H67 Date
1979 Status BORROWED
RENEW
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Implementing the metaphor
The first thing that a user would need to do in
the interface is either search all records for
their book or browse for a book. In the real
world implementation of this metaphor, the user
would need to open the drawers to do these
tasks. Therefore in the interface, it would make
sense for the user to have to click on the
drawers to perform these actions. Each drawer
could be labelled with a different task.
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D
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A
If the user chooses to browse the interface they
could be presented with something like this,
where they choose the letter from the virtual
dividers.