1. ISYS 200Week #71 Systems Analysis I Interface Design ISYS 200 Glenn Booker

2. ISYS 200Week #72 Interface Objectives Key objectives for designing a “good” interface include Match type of interface to the task Make interface efficient Provide appropriate feedback to users Generate usable queries Improve productivity of knowledge workers

3. ISYS 200Week #73 Interface Parts A user interface consists of two parts The presentation language takes computer signals and makes them readable by humans The action language takes human inputs and makes them usable by the computer Together, these parts constitute what we call a user interface

4. ISYS 200Week #74 Types of Interfaces Types of interfaces include Natural language Question and answer Menus Form-fill Command language Graphical user interface (GUI) And a few other

5. ISYS 200Week #75 Natural language Natural language processing is the foundation for being able to ask a database native language (e.g. English) questions Natural language processing www.ask.com handles natural language WWW queries, but is now full of Featured Sponsors www.ask.com Practical information systems have trouble with natural language, due to the vagueness of human languages

6. ISYS 200Week #76 Question and Answer Q&A interfaces are typically used when a limited range of activities and options are needed Good for inexperienced users Often used for help services (e.g. wizards), and installation routines

7. ISYS 200Week #77 Menus Menu interfaces are familiar from almost every Windows and Mac application Menus are activated based on mouse click or keyboard commands Allows for many command options User is expected to know what kind of task they want to perform More primitive menu systems were based on typing a command letter at each screen

8. ISYS 200Week #78 Form-fill Also known as form based or input/output interfaces, this replicates paper forms to provide a familiar environment to the user Forms appear to be filled out by the user Fields needing data are backlit, colored, or otherwise highlighted Default values and field screens can encourage fast and accurate data entry Poor choice for experienced users

9. ISYS 200Week #79 Command language A command language interface is used by typing commands onto a screen Akin to DOS- or UNIX-based command prompts Commands must be learned, and typed correctly Steep learning curve Very efficient for experienced users Good for very complex applications, e.g. AutoCAD, Mathematica, etc. AutoCADMathematica

10. ISYS 200Week #710 Graphical user interface (GUI) GUIs allow direct manipulation of graphic interface objects, providing constant feedback for the user The objects must provide a conceptual model of the environment depicted, producing a design challenge Users of Web-based GUIs may be completely unknown, so expressing good icons and language are challenging

11. ISYS 200Week #711 Other Interfaces Other types of interfaces exist, and are becoming increasingly common Pointing devices (stylus, tablet PC, touch screen) Voice recognition systems

12. ISYS 200Week #712 Interface Type Selection When choosing the type of interface, should consider The number of users, and their experience level Turnover rate – how long do users stay with the system? Training period should be brief New users should have noticeable productivity Users errors are few and easy to fix Occasional users should relearn system quickly

13. ISYS 200Week #713 Dialog Design The dialog between computer and user is critical to the success of any system Want to have Meaningful communication Minimal user action Standard operation and consistency

14. ISYS 200Week #714 Meaningful Communication A system needs to present information clearly to the user (duh!) Need to format data into recognizable forms Give clear instructions Novice users require more instructions and feedback Help screens or other support tools should be provided Validate inputs to ensure computer understands

15. ISYS 200Week #715 Minimal User Action Typing is often the slowest part of a system Key in codes instead of full words, or select from a dropdown list where possible Only enter new data Format data as user would expect it Provide default values where possible Have system look up names or items, to avoid typing the whole entry Provide keyboard shortcuts

16. ISYS 200Week #716 Standard Operation Make the user interface consistent throughout the application Put common elements in the same place on each screen, and use consistent fonts and layout Use the same function keys or keyboard shortcuts everywhere Use standard shortcuts, like F1 = Help, Esc = exit Use consistent colors and icons everywhere Provide consistent navigation scheme

17. ISYS 200Week #717 User Feedback In order for there to be a DIalog between computer and user, the computer must provide good and frequent feedback Feedback generally compares the intended result with an actual result, or tells the user what is expected next

18. ISYS 200Week #718 Types of Feedback There are many types of feedback Acknowledge input – tell the user when an input has been received by the system Input is valid – tell user that the inputs are in the correct form; it has passed validation Input is invalid – tell user when inputs are not valid; and specifically how to fix them Explain delays – tell the user why there is a delay, so they don’t assume the system crashed

19. ISYS 200Week #719 Types of Feedback Tell when task was completed – tell the user when a request or process has been completed successfully; or conversely Tell when a task wasn’t completed – tell the user if something didn’t complete; and tell them how to redo it or fix the problem Provide additional instructions – provide a way for users to get more information on the current process, or what they can do next

20. ISYS 200Week #720 Feedback in Design Use lots of help options Generic F1 Help Context-sensitive help Balloon help Wizards Customer support phone or email Support forums, chat areas, user groups, etc.

21. ISYS 200Week #721 E-Commerce Notes In addition to providing user feedback, many e-commerce web sites also solicit feedback Provide an email link for product comments, help requests, website corrections, etc. Many use one-click navigation Create using rollover menus, hierarchical links, creating a site map, or using a common navigation bar

22. ISYS 200Week #722 Query Types Query structure is outside the scope of this class; typical uses include Look up a value for a given record Find records matching a condition for an attribute Find when a given attribute has some value Show an entire record Show all records which have a given attribute List attributes that have a given value

23. ISYS 200Week #723 Query Methods There are two major methods for querying Query by Example (QBE) is done in Access Select the fields of interest, and enter query values Is a click-and-drag way to create queries Structured Query Language (SQL) is used in every major database system Uses text commands to specify what tables, attributes, and values are to be evaluated or shown

24. ISYS 200Week #724 Web Searching Zillions of resources are available, of varying levels of accuracy and completeness, by searching the WWW Google is a favorite starting point Try www.firstgov.gov for searching state and/or federal government web siteswww.firstgov.gov Choose search terms carefully Spell out part of acronyms Apply logical rules for searches (e.g. AND, OR, exact)

25. ISYS 200Week #725 Data Mining Data mining studies past behavior (e.g. sales history) to look for meaningful patterns Often used for marketing or sales, such as targeting an ad campaign Can create a consumer profile based on purchase history Lots of potential privacy issues Data mining tends to be expensive, due to severe computational requirements