Users deserve quality output. The quality of system input determines the quality of system output. It is vital that input forms, displays, and interactive Web documents be designed with this critical relationship in mind. Well-designed input forms, displays, and interactive Web fill-in forms should meet the objectives of effectiveness, accuracy, ease of use, consistency, simplicity,… [Continue Reading]
Designing Effective Input
Good Form Design
The systems analyst should be capable of designing a complete and useful form. Unnecessary forms that waste an organization’s resources should be eliminated. Forms are important instruments for steering the course of work. They are preprinted papers that require people to fill in responses in a standardized way. Forms elicit and capture information required by… [Continue Reading]
Good Display and Web Forms Design
Much of what we have already said about good form design is transferable to display design and the design of Web sites and Web pages. Once again, the user must remain foremost in the analyst’s thoughts during the design of displays. There are differences, however, and systems analysts should strive to realize the unique qualities… [Continue Reading]
Graphical User Interface (GUI) Design
A graphical user interface (GUI, pronounced as “gooey” or “gee-you-eye”)) is the way that users interface with the Windows and Macintosh operating systems. This is also referred to as a point-and-click interface. Users can use a mouse to click on an object and drag it into position. Graphical user interfaces take advantage of additional features… [Continue Reading]
Form Controls and Values
Each of the controls included in a GUI interface must have some way of storing the data associated with the control. On a Web page this is done using a name and a value pair that are transmitted to the server or in an email sent along with the form, such as a name of… [Continue Reading]
Dynamic and Three Dimensional Web Pages
Dynamic Web Pages Dynamic Web pages change themselves as the result of user action. They often use JavaScript to modify some part of the Web page or a style. Changing an image when the mouse moves over it or rotating random images at a given time interval are common examples of dynamic Web pages. The… [Continue Reading]
Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)
Ajax is a technique that works in more recent Web browsers. It involves the use of JavaScript and extensible markup language (XML). Traditionally, each time a Web page needed data from a different database table, a request was sent to the server and a whole new page was loaded. This is effective but slow, because… [Continue Reading]
Intranet and Internet Page Design
In the previous chapter “Designing Effective Output“, the rudiments of designing Web sites were discussed. There are more hints about designing a good Internet or intranet fill-in form that should be noted now that you have learned some of the elementary aspects of input form and display design. Guidelines include the following: Provide clear instructions,… [Continue Reading]
