“In this unit, you will learn what guidelines to follow when designing forms and reports. In general, forms are used to present or collect information on a single item, such as a customer, product, or event. Forms can be used for both input and output. Reports, on the other hand, are used to convey information on a collection of items. Form and report design is a key ingredient for successful systems. Because users often equate the quality of a system with the quality of its input and output methods, you can see that the design process for forms and reports is an especially important activity. And because information can be collected and formatted in many ways, gaining an understanding of design dos and don’ts and the trade-offs between various formatting options is useful for all systems analysts.
In addition, you will learn about system interface and dialogue design. Interface design focuses on how information is provided to and captured from users; dialogue design focuses on the sequencing of interface displays. Dialogues are analogous to a conversation between two people. The grammatical rules followed by each person during a conversation are analogous to the interface. Thus, the design of interfaces and dialogues is the process of defining the manner in which humans and computers exchange information. A good human–computer interface provides a uniform structure for finding, viewing, and invoking the different components of a system.”
Valacich, J. S., & George, J. F. (2017). Modern systems analysis and design (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Activities
- Read: Chapter 10 and 11 in Modern Systems Analysis and Design
- Complete written assignment 12.1 & 12.2 (WA-12.1 & WA-12.2)
Objectives
- explain the process of designing forms and reports and the deliverables for their creation;
- apply the general guidelines for formatting forms and reports;
- use color and know when color improves the usability of information;
- format text, tables, and lists effectively;
- explain how to assess usability and describe how variations in users, tasks, technology, and environmental characteristics influence the usability of forms and reports;
- discuss guidelines for the design of forms and reports for Internet-based electronic commerce systems.
- explain the process of designing interfaces and dialogues and the deliverables for their creation;
- contrast and apply several methods for interacting with a system;
- describe and apply the general guidelines for designing interfaces and specific guidelines for layout design, structuring data entry fields, providing feedback, and system help;
- design human–computer dialogues and understand how dialogue diagramming can be used to design dialogues;
- design graphical user interfaces; and
- discuss guidelines for the design of interfaces and dialogues for Internet-based electronic commerce systems.
Topics
- Designing forms and Reports
- Formatting Forms and Reports
- Assessing Usability
- Designing Interfaces and Dialogues
- Interaction Methods and Devices
- Designing Interfaces
- Designing Dialogues