COMP 106 Practical 2

1
COMP 106 Practical 2

• Proposal 5

Slide 1
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Designing an Interface (1)
Ten Principles for Good GUI Design

• The user must be able to anticipate a widget's
  behaviour from its visual properties.
• The user must be able to anticipate the behaviour
  of your program using knowledge gained from other
  programs.
• View every user warning and error dialog that
  your program generates as an opportunity to
  improve your interface.
• Provide adequate user feedback.
• Create a safe environment for exploration.
• Strive to make your application self-evident.
• Use sound, colour, animation and multimedia clips
  sparingly.
• Help users customize and preserve their preferred
  work environment.
• Avoid modal behaviours.
• Design your interface so that your users can
  accomplish their tasks while being minimally
  aware of the interface itself.

Slide 2
3
Designing an Interface (2)

• New interface must improve on
• The navigation used.
• The user should expect the outcome from each
  action.
• Well planned and intuitive lay out.
• Interface should be easy to use so that the user
  can accomplish there goal in minimum time.
• Use informative layout that gives the user all
  the relevant information needed.

Slide 3
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Direct Manipulation

• Direct manipulation is a human-computer
  interaction style that involves continuous
  representation of objects of interest.
• The intention is to allow a user to directly
  manipulate objects presented to them, using
  actions that correspond at least loosely to the
  physical world.
• Having real-world metaphors for objects and
  actions can make it easier for a user to learn
  and use an interface.
• The interface is more natural or intuitive for
  the user.
• Incremental feedback allows a user to make fewer
  errors and complete tasks in less time.

Slide 4
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Analysis

• The aspects that need to be concentrated on in
  the new design for the website are
• The logon screen that is used to renew a users
  books.
• Searching the database
• The navigation aspects.
• Information for user.

Slide 5
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Design

• The new Liverpool University Library website
  should be improved in the following aspects
• Renewing a Book
• In particular the logon screen that is used to
  renew a users books.
• Searching the database
• Concentrating mainly on the navigation aspects.
• Book SuggestionsMainly concentrating on the
  users speed of data entry and information
  available.

Slide 6
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Task 1

• Renew a book
• On the main menu for logging on to the system the
  page and the input fields are not clearly laid
  out for the user.
• Log onto system
• The input fields will be clearly labelled
• Currently the input fields are not labelled as
  clearly as they could be. The new logging on
  screen will have the input fields which will be
  clearly labelled with the type of information
  that needs to be input.
• The logging on screen will be laid out more
  simply,
• Just the basic information that is needed will
  be asked for, Name, University ID and Library
  PIN. Any additional information that is required
  will be shown in as a link to a separate page. (
  log on help etc)
• Example showing the user what to enter into the
  fields
• As a quick guide to novice users there will be
  an example to help with the input. To help users
  further a link referring to an information page
  will help uncluttered the main page and provide
  in-depth information and guides.

Slide 7
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Task 2

• Search for a book
• The main systems book searching facility.
• Navigation control.
• when using the search facility on the current
  system it doesnt offer any way of going back to
  a previous search. The new system would have full
  navigation so that a user could start a new
  search or select to go back to a previous search.
  
• Improved search results.
• when entering a search criteria the results
  that are displayed are some times not appropriate
  to the subject criteria. Example when ?????? Is
  entered contained in the results are foreign
  books, when clearly the criteria is in English.
  The results will be filtered for relevance and
  only show the results that will interest the
  user.

Slide 8
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Task 3

• Book Suggestions
• The system used for Book Suggestions from the
  user.
• Improved data entry
• When the user is to enter a book suggestion,
  there is no list of past entries. If the website
  listed the entries that past users have entered
  there might be some similarity in course or book.
  This would then greatly speed up the information
  that needs to be entered. The user could just
  suggest the book that is in the list.
• Information available
• It would be useful is the website listed the
  past books that have been suggested. This would
  give the user an idea on how many books are
  suggested from each subject, and by how many
  people and the success rate at which the books
  are made available to loan from the library etc.

Slide 9
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Metaphor (1)
The library metaphor will help the user to use
the website effectively. When searching for a
book the same methods that are applied when using
a library are also relevant to using the webpage.
The same activities that can be complete in a
library are related to the functions that can be
complete on the website. Renew a book, search
online database, reserve books etc
Slide 10
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Metaphor (2)

• Task 1 Renewing a book.
• In the real world to renew a book on loan from
  the library the book need to be taken to the main
  desk along with your library details, the book is
  then extended for a longer period. This relates
  to the metaphor used in the website, to renew a
  book you first need to logon using your details,
  and then select to renew the book.
• Task 2 Searching for a book
• when searching for a book in the library you
  need to know some details about the book before
  you start looking. The author or type of book so
  that you know what section or were alphabetical
  to start your search. The metaphor is the same,
  the user need to know some details about the
  book, the details is entered and then searched
  for.
• Task 3
• In the library when a book is suggested a form
  is filled out using pen and paper method. You
  need to fill in your student details and the book
  you want to suggest. This relates to the online
  method used via the website. The same student
  details are used but are entered into fields and
  the book details are also entered this way.

12
Interface Design (1)
Slide 12
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Interface Design (2)

• Metaphor Source characteristics
• - Objects Books, Library Card.
• - Relations book checked in.
• - Actions Renew book by getting it stamped and
  loan period extended.
• Person takes out book on short loan.
• Check availability of a book by check number on
  shelf.
• Metaphor Target characteristics
• - Objects Data Fields, Logon details
• - Relations check in not available though
  website.
• - Actions logon, select book and renew book.
• Book on loan is shown to be unavailable.
• Check the number of available books in the
  database

Slide 13