Chapter 9

User Interface Design

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

SEVENTH EDITION

DENNIS, WIXOM, AND ROTH

Adapted by T Nkalai - 2024
Learning Objectives
• Explain the concept of usability with regard to the user interface.
• Describe several fundamental user interface design principles.
• Explain the process of user interface design.
• Explain ways to understand the perspectives of the users of the user
interface.
• Describe ways to define the structure of the user interface.
• Explain the standards that should be established for the user interface.
• Describe various ways to prototype the user interface.
• Discuss ways to evaluate and test the user interface.
• Discuss special concerns associated with touch-screen-enabled user
interfaces.
• Be able to design a highly usable user interface.

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Key Definitions
• System Interface: “connections” with other systems, where systems exchange
information with each other. Designed as part of program design.
• User interface = part of the system with which the user interacts
• User Interface: “connections” with users. Focus of this chapter.
• The navigation mechanism provides the way for users to tell the system
what to do
• The input mechanism defines the way the system captures information
• The output mechanism defines the way the system provides information
to users or other systems
• Graphical user interface (GUI): most common type of interface in use today
• Interface design = process of defining how the system interacts with the
external entities (e.g. Customers, suppliers, other systems)

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Usability Concept
• Usability encompasses that system should be:
• easy to use
• easy to learn
• Results of a usable user interface:
• Tasks are completed more efficiently and with more
accuracy
• Mistakes with system are reduced
• User satisfaction with new system is increased
• Adoption of system is more likely

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Interface Design Principles
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR USER INTERFACE DESIGN

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Principles for User Interface Design
• Layout
• Content awareness
• Aesthetics
• Usage level
• Consistency
• Minimize user effort

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Layout Concepts
• The screen is often divided into three boxes
• Navigation area (top)
• Status area (bottom)
• Work area (middle)
• Information can be presented in multiple areas
• Like areas should be grouped together

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More Layout Concepts
• Areas and information should minimize user movement
from one to another
• Ideally, areas will remain consistent in
• Size
• Shape
• Placement for entering data
• Reports presenting retrieved data

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Model Layout for Web Page
• Note use of multiple layout areas for site navigation

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Content Awareness (1 of 2)
• All interfaces should have titles
• Menus should show
• where you are
• where you came from to get there
• It should be clear what information is within each area
• Fields and field labels should be selected carefully
• Use dates and version numbers to aid system users

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Content Awareness (2 of 2)
• Note the use of highlighting to indicate menu selections
• Breadcrumbs provide additional clues on navigational path

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Aesthetics
• Interfaces need to be functional and inviting to use
• Avoid squeezing in too much, particularly for novice users
• Design text carefully
• Be aware of font and size
• Avoid using all capital letters

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More Aesthetics
• Colors and patterns should be used carefully
• Test quality of colors by trying the interface on a
black/white monitor
• Use colors to separate or categorize items

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Usage Level (1 of 2)
• Some people will be frequent, heavy users of the system
• Frequent users desire ease of use – quick and easy
completion of job tasks
• Other people may use the system infrequently
• Infrequent users desire ease of learning – quick and easy
ways to figure out what to do.

Stopped

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Usage Level (2 of 2)
• User interface design should anticipate the types of users
expected.
• For systems primarily used by frequent users, include ways
to perform tasks directly (hot keys, short-cut keys, etc.).
• For systems primarily used by infrequent users, include
careful menu designs, tool tips, and extensive help systems.
• For systems with both user types, incorporate both user
preferences in design as much as possible

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Consistency
• Elements are the same throughout the application
• Enables users to predict what will happen
• Reduces learning curve
• Considers elements within an application and across
applications
• Pertains to many different levels
• Navigation controls
• Terminology
• Report and form design

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Example of Inconsistent Elements
Note the different button styles, colors, and font styles.

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Minimize Effort
• Three clicks rule
• Users should be able to go from the start or main menu
of a system to the information or action they want in no
more than three mouse clicks or three keystrokes

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Special Issues of Touch Screen Design (1 of 2)
• Ideal for information display but not data entry.
• Place content at top and navigation controls at bottom
so finger does not obscure content area.
• Place labels on top of navigation controls.
• Size objects correctly for “fat fingers.”
• Include adequate spacing between objects.
• Use graphical objects that can be manipulated instead
of entering text ( e.g. use listbox to scroll to a set of
values).

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Special Issues of Touch Screen Design (2 of 2)
• Consider needs of left-handed and right-handed users.
• Bright colors/backgrounds can help reduce glare and
hide fingerprints.
• Use each device’s standardized gesture interactions to
enhance the user’s ease of learning and ease of use.

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User Interface Design Process (1 of 2)
The path to a successful user interface

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User Interface Design Process (2 of 2)
• Understand the Users
• Organize the Interface
• Define Standards
• Develop Prototypes
• Evaluation / Testing

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Understand the Users (1 of 2)
• Users likely will have very different goals and intentions
when using the system.
• Use personas to develop characterizations of various user
groups.
• Interests
• Typical behaviors
• Goals and objectives
• Expectations
• Plan a user interface that will be satisfying for that
particular user group.

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Personas for DrōnTeq (1 of 2)
Martin: wants to learn details about DrōnTeq ’ s products
“I ’ m focused on finding the best commercial drone for my business needs.”

Knowledge: Understands commercial drones and has specific uses and

capabilities in mind for the drone purchase.
Tasks: Arrives a site to select and configure custom drones. Wants to be
able to easily identify drone models and options to meet his intended
purposes. Wants to save and compare several configurations in terms
of capabilities and prices.
Interests: Has a business interest in commercial drones. Wants to find the best
tool to use to fulfill business needs. Cost/benefit analysis is
important.
Characteristics: Deliberate; thoughtful; expects to be able to develop and compare
alternative configurations easily and seamlessly.

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Personas for DrōnTeq (2 of 2)
Jesse: wants to learn about the uses of commercial drones
“I ’ m intrigued by the possibilities of commercial drones and want to learn
more.”

Knowledge: Very limited specific knowledge of commercial drone uses and capabilities.
Most likely knowledgeable about hobby-level drones. Wants to explore through
examples, case studies, video clips, and owner descriptions of commercial
drone applications.
Tasks: Arrives at site and looks for video clips of drones performing commercial
operations: photography, agricultural surveys, pipeline inspections, security
surveillance, etc. Within each usage category, wants to discover more details
through product descriptions, examples, and owner comments.
Interests: Has a general interest in commercial drone applications and prefers to see an
array of ideas and examples.
Characteristics: Curious, open-minded; creative, exploratory. Wants to get excited by the
possibilities offered by commercial-level drones.

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Understand the Users (2 of 2)
• Use scenarios outline the steps that the users perform to
accomplish some part of their work.
• Presented in a simple narrative tied to the related DFD.
• Document the most common paths through the use case so
interface designs will be easy to use for those situations.

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Use Scenarios for DrōnTeq (1 of 2)
Use Scenario: Focused Visitor
User wants to easily develop alternative drone configurations
and compare price and performance of the alternatives
1. User selects a drone base model
2. User looks at lists of available options for that model
3. User selects options and wants to learn price and capabilities
of that configuration
4. User saves, modifies, or discards that configuration and repeats
with other options or other drones
5. User has one or more configurations to save and consider for
purchase.
6. User may want to contact a sales representative with
questions.

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Use Scenarios for DrōnTeq (2 of 2)
Use Scenario: Exploratory Visitor
User wants to learn about applications of
commercial drones through video clips and written material
1. User views video clips of drones being used in commercial
applications
2. User selects an application area and views more clips in that
area
3. User reads site marketing material
4. User reads owner descriptions and comments
5. User repeats steps 2-4 for other commercial application areas.
6. User views list of drone models
7. User selects a model and reads site marketing material for
that drone.

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Organize the Interface (1 of 2)
• Define the basic components of the interface and how they
work together to provide functionality to users.
• Use Interface Structure Diagram (ISD)
• Shows how all screens, forms, and reports are related
• Shows how user moves from one to another
• Like DFD in using boxes and lines
• Boxes denote screens
• Lines show movement from one to another
• Different from DFD in having no standard rules or format

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Interface Structure Diagram for DrōnTeq

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Organize the Interface (2 of 2)
• For Web sites, use site map.
• Show how all the information on the site fits together.
• Helps establish the hierarchy of information on the site.

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Site Map for DrōnTeq

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Define Standards
• Clarify decisions on all key interface elements to ensure
consistency:
• Basic common elements across individual screens, forms,
and reports within the application
• Interface metaphor (e.g., calendar, checkbook, shopping
cart)
• Interface objects (e.g., customer/client; employee/associate)
• Interface actions (e.g., buy/purchase/check out; exit/quit)
• Interface icons (pictures) representing status or actions (e.g.,
trashcan for delete; disk for save)
• Interface templates (layout guide for all screens)
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Interface Design Prototyping

• A mock-up or simulation of screens, forms, or reports

• Common methods include:
• Paper sketches
• Wireframe diagrams
• Storyboarding
• Wireflow diagrams
• HTML prototype
• Language prototype

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Wireframe Diagram for DrōnTeq

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Storyboard Example

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Language Prototype Example

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Interface Evaluation Methods
• Heuristic evaluation
• Compare design to checklist
• Walkthrough evaluation
• Team simulates movement through components
• Interactive evaluation
• Users try out the system
• Formal usability testing
• Expensive
• Detailed use of special lab testing

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Navigation Design
Providing a seamless interaction

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Basic Principles of Navigation Design (1 of 2)
• Assume users
• Have not read the manual
• Have not attended training
• Do not have external help readily at hand
• All controls should be clear and understandable and placed
in an intuitive location on the screen.

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Basic Principles of Navigation Design (2 of 2)
• Prevent mistakes
• Limit choices
• Never display commands that can’t be used (or “gray them
out”)
• Confirm actions that are difficult or impossible to undo
• Simplify recovery from mistakes
• Use consistent grammar order (action-object, object-action)

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Menu Tips
• Menus enable users to select action from an organised
display of action categories and options
• Broad and shallow design (each menu containing many items
and each item containing only one or two layers of menus) is
preferred.
• Ideally,
• Any one menu should contain no more than 8 items
• It should take no more than 2 mouse clicks or keystrokes from any
menu to perform an action (not applicable for complex systems)
• Group similar items together within a menu option - the
user can intuitively guess what the menu option contains.
• Most Designers recommend grouping menu items by interface
objects (e.g., customers; purchase orders, inventory) instead of
interaction actions (New, Update, Format)

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Menu types
• Common menu formats include:
• menu bars,
• drop-down menus,
• popup menus,
• tab menus,
• icon tool bars,
• image maps.
• Menus may become less popular with trend toward
touchscreens

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Message Tips
• Common message types include:
• Error message
• Confirmation message
• Acknowledgment message
• Delay message
• Help message
• Strive for clear, concise, and complete messages
• Should be grammatically correct and free of jargon and
abbreviations (unless they are the users’)
• Avoid negatives and humor (it gets old)

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Input Design

Entering New Data Into The System

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Basic Principles of Input Design
• The goal is to simply and easily capture accurate
information for the system
• Reflect the nature of the inputs
• Find ways to simplify their collection

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Online versus Batch Processing
• Online processing immediately records the transaction in
the appropriate database
• Batch processing collects inputs over time, holds them
temporarily, and then processes all the transactions at one
time in a batch
• Batch processing simplifies data communications and other
processes; but master files are not updated in real time

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Capture Data at the Source
• Reduces duplicate work
• Reduces processing time
• Decreases cost
• Decreases probability of error

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Source Data Automation
• Can be obtained by using the following technologies:
• bar code readers / scanners
• optical character recognition
• magnetic stripe readers
• smart cards
• RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags

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Minimize Keystrokes
• Keyboard entry is slow and error-prone
• Never ask user to key-enter information that can be
obtained other ways
• Lookups
• Dropdown lists
• Default values

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Input Tips (1 of 3)
Utilize selection controls whenever possible to minimize keystrokes.
Type of Selection Control When to Use Notes
Check box selection list When several items can be Check boxes are not mutually exclusive.
Presents a complete list selected from a list of Do not use negatives for box labels.
of choices, each with a items Check box labels should be placed in some logical
square box in front. order, such as that defined by the business process,
or failing that, alphabetically or most commonly
used first.
Use no more than 10 check boxes for any particular
set of options. If you need more boxes, group them
into subcategories.
Radio button selection list When only one item can Use no more than six radio buttons in any one list; if
Presents a complete list be selected from a set of you need more, use a drop-down selection list.
of mutually exclusive mutually exclusive items If there are only two options, one check box is
choices, each with a circle usually preferred to two radio buttons, unless the
in front. options are not clear.
Avoid placing radio buttons close to check boxes to
prevent confusion between different selection lists.

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Input Tips (2 of 3)
Type of Selection Control When to Use Notes
On-screen selection list Seldom or never—only if This box can permit only one item to be selected (in
Presents a list of choices in there which case it is an ugly version of radio buttons).
a box is insufficient room for This box can also permit many items to be selected
check (in which case it is an ugly version of check boxes),
boxes or radio buttons but users often fail to realize that they can choose
multiple items.
This box permits the list of items to be scrolled, thus
reducing the amount of screen space needed.
Drop-down selection list When there is insufficient This box acts like radio buttons, but is more compact.
Displays selected item in room to display all choices This box hides choices from users until it is opened,
one-line box that opens to which can
reveal list decrease ease of use; conversely, because it shelters
of choices. novice
users from seldom-used choices, it can improve ease
of use.
This box simplifies design if the number of choices is
unclear,
because it takes only one line when closed.

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Input Tips (3 of 3)
Type of Selection When to Use Notes
Control
Combo box selection Shortcut for This box acts like a drop-down list, but is
list experienced users faster for experienced
A special type of drop- users when the list of items is long.
down list
box that permits user
to type as
well as scroll the list.
Up-down numeric When entering a Beginning and ending range values and
control numeric value increments can
Scroll arrows move up be defined.
or down Best for entering values with narrow value
through numeric ranges, such as
range. “Quantity Ordered.”

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Input Validation
• Apply a judicious amount of input validation to ensure
accuracy.
• Types include:
• Completeness check
• Format check
• Range check
• Check digit check
• Consistency check
• Database checks

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Output Design
Conveying The Information The User Needs

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Basic Output Design Principles
• Understand report usage
• Reference or cover-to-cover?
• Frequency?
• Real-time or batch reports?
• Manage information load
• All needed information, no more
• Minimize bias
• Utilize various report types (detail, summary, exception,
graphical) and media to satisfy users’ output requirements.

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After reading and studying this chapter,
you should be able to: (1 of 2)
• Identify and describe the five basic rules of user interface
design.
• Describe the concept of usability with respect to a system’s
user interface. Why is this concept important to the
interface designer?
• Explain three unique aspects of designing for a touch
screen user interface.
• Discuss the five components of the user interface design
process.

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After reading and studying this chapter,
you should be able to: (2 of 2)
• Explain the particular issues associated with design of the
system’s navigation mechanism.
• Discuss ways to improve the quality of input data captured
by the system.
• Explain the best ways to produce output from the system.

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Copyright
Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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or from the use of the information contained herein.

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