Lecture4

User Interface Design

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 Systems Design Phase Overview
• The goal of systems design is to build a system that is effective,
reliable, and maintainable.
– A system is effective if it supports business requirements and
meets user needs.
– A system is reliable if it handles input errors, processing
errors, hardware failures, or human mistakes.
– A system is maintainable if it is flexible, scalable, and easily
modified.

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 Will It Succeed?
• A system might have advanced technology and
powerful features, but the real test is whether users like
it and feel that it meets their needs.
• Some suggestions for successful design include:
 Thinking like a user: Carefully examine any point
where users provide input or Receive output.
Anticipating future needs.
Providing flexibility: start with a default value that
displays automatically.
Managing data effectively: enter data as soon as
possible, verify data as it is entered, and use
automated methods of data entry whenever
possible. 4
 What Is a User Interface?
• User interface (UI): describes how users interact
with a computer system, and consists of all the
hardware, software, screens, menus, functions,
outputs, and features that affect two-way
communications between the user and the
computer.
• The UI is the key to usability, which includes
user satisfaction, support for business functions,
and system effectiveness.

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 User Interface Design
• Evolution of the User Interface
– As information management evolved from
centralized data processing to dynamic,
enterprise-wide systems, the primary focus
also shifted — from the IT department to the
users themselves.
• User-centered system
– Requires an understanding of human-
computer interaction and user-centered
design principles.
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 User Interface Design
• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
– describes the relationship between
computers and people who use them to
perform their jobs.
• Graphical user interface (GUI)
– Main objective is to create a user-friendly
design that is easy to learn and use.

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 Seven Habits of Successful Interface Designers
1. Understand the Business.
2. Maximize Graphical Effectiveness
– popularity of Microsoft Windows.
3. Think Like a User
– The interface should use terms and metaphors that are
familiar to users.
4. Use Models and Prototypes
– An interface designer should obtain as much feedback as
possible, as early as possible.
5. Focus on Usability.
6. Invite Feedback
– monitor system usage and user suggestions.
7. Document Everything: All screen designs should be
documented for later use by programmers. 8
 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
1. Create an interface that is easy to learn and use.
2. Enhance user productivity.
3. Provide Users with Help and Feedback.
4. Create an attractive layout and design.
5. Enhance the Interface.
6. Focus on Data Entry Screens.
7. Use Validation Rules. The best
interface
8. Reduce Input Volume. is the
one that
works
The best interface is the one that works best for the users.
best for 9
the
 Guidelines for User Interface
•
Design
Create an Interface that Is Easy to Learn and Use
– Focus on system design objectives, rather than calling attention to
the interface.
– Create a design that is easy to understand and remember.
– Provide commands, actions, and system responses that are
consistent and predictable.
– Allow users to correct errors easily.
– Clearly label all controls, buttons, and icons.
– Select familiar images that users can understand, and provide on-
screen instructions that are logical, concise, and clear.
– Show all commands in a list of menu items, but dim any commands
that are not available to the user.
– Make it easy to navigate or return to any level in the menu structure.

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 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
• Enhance user productivity
– Organize tasks, commands, and functions in groups.
– Create alphabetical menu lists or place the selections used
frequently at the top of the menu list.
– Provide shortcuts for experienced users so they can avoid
multiple menu levels.
– Use default values.
– Provide a fast-find feature that displays a list of possible values
as soon as users enter the first few letters.
– Consider a natural language feature For example, Help by
typing a question.

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 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
• Provide Users with Help and Feedback.
– Ensure that Help is always available.
– Provide user-selected Help and context-sensitive Help.
– Include contact information, such as a telephone or email address, if
a department or help desk is responsible for assisting users.
– Require user confirmation before data deletion (Are you sure?)
– Provide an “Undo” key or a menu.
– When a user-entered command contains an error, highlight the
erroneous part.
– Alert users to lengthy processing times or delays.
– Let the user know whether the task or operation was successful or
not.
– Use messages that are specific, understandable, and professional.

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 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
• Create an attractive layout and design
– Use appropriate colors to highlight different areas of
the screen.
– Use special effects sparingly.
– Use hyperlinks that allow users to jump to related
topics.
– Group related objects and information.
– Use familiar commands if possible, such as Cut, Copy,
and Paste.
– Avoid complex terms.

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 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
• Enhance the Interface
• Add Control Features – Menu bar
– List box – scroll bar – Toolbar
– Drop-down list box – Command button
– Option button, or – Dialog box
radio button – Text box
– Check box – Toggle button
– Calendar control

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 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
• Focus on Data Entry Screens
– use a data entry method called form filling.
– Provide a descriptive caption for every field.
– Allow users to add, change, delete, and view
records
– Design the screen form layout to match the layout
of the source document.
– use an input mask.

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 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
• Use Validation Rules
– A sequence check can be used when the data
must be in some predetermined sequence.
– An existence check can apply to mandatory data
items.
– A data type check can test to ensure that a data
item fits the required data type.
– A range check can be used to verify that data
items fall between a specified minimum and
maximum value.

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 Guidelines for User Interface
Design
• Reduce Input Volume
– Input necessary data only.
– Do not input data that the user can retrieve from
system files or calculate from other data.
– Do not input constant data.
– Use codes.

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