Designing effective output week viii

WEEK VIII
JOEY MILLER D. MINGUILLAN

 Designing output
 Output technologies
 Factors in choosing an output technology
 Report design
 Screen design
 Web site design
Kendall & KendallCopyright © 2002 by Prentice Hall, Inc.
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 Internal output is used within the corporation
 External output is used outside the
organization
 External output differs from internal output in
its design and appearance
 A turnaround document is one that is sent
out and then returned
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 Output should be designed to
◦ Serve the intended purpose
◦ Be meaningful to the user
◦ Deliver the right quantity of output
◦ Deliver it to the right place
◦ Provide output on time
◦ Choose the right output method
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 Output can be in the form of
◦ Print
◦ Screen
◦ Audio
◦ CD-ROM or CD-RW
◦ DVD
◦ E-mail
◦ The World Wide Web
◦ Electronic output
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 Output technologies differ in their
◦ Speed
◦ Cost
◦ Portability
◦ Flexibility
◦ Storage and retrieval possibilities
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 Video clips are useful for
◦ Supplementing static, printed output
◦ Distance collaboration
◦ Showing how to perform an action
◦ Providing brief training episodes
◦ Shifting the time of an actual event by recording it
for later output
◦ Preserving an important occasion for addition to an
organization’s archives
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 Animation is composed of four elements:
◦ Elemental symbols
◦ Spatial orientation
◦ Transition effects
◦ Alteration effects
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 Electronic output includes
◦ Fax
◦ Electronic mail
◦ The World Wide Web
◦ Bulletin board messages
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 Drawbacks of electronic and Web-based
output are
◦ The design of CD-ROM is very time- consuming
and expensive
◦ CD-ROM is troublesome to update
◦ CD-ROM is difficult to use on a network
◦ Electronic mail has difficulty in formatting control
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 Disadvantages, continued
◦ Electronic mail has a potential for abuse
◦ Junk electronic mail may become a problem
◦ It is difficult to express a mood with electronic mail
and communication may be more informal
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 Pull technology allows the user to take
formatted data from the Web
 Push technology sends solicited or
unsolicited information to a customer or
client
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 Factors that must be considered when
choosing an output technology are
◦ Who will use the output?
◦ How many people need the output?
◦ Where is the output needed?
◦ What is the purpose of the output?
◦ What is the speed with which output is needed?
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◦ How frequently will the output be accessed?
◦ How long will the output be stored?
◦ Under what special regulations is the output
produced, stored, and distributed?
◦ What are the initial and ongoing costs of
maintenance and supplies?
◦ What are the environmental requirements for
output technologies?
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 Analysts must be aware of sources of output
bias and inform users of the possibilities of
bias in output
 Bias is introduced in three main ways:
◦ How information is sorted
◦ Setting of acceptable limits
◦ Choice of graphics
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 Strategies to avoid output bias
◦ Awareness of the sources of bias
◦ Design of output that includes users
◦ Working with users so that they are informed of the
output's biases
◦ Creating output that is flexible and allows users to
modify limits and ranges
◦ Train users to rely on multiple output for
conducting "reality tests" on system output
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 Design reports using software
 Design guidelines for printed reports are
◦ Include functional attributes, such as headings,
page numbers, and control breaks
◦ Incorporate stylistic and aesthetic attributes, such
as extra blank space and grouping data
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 Examine the type of data: alphabetic, special,
or numeric
 Constant information does not change when
the report is printed
 Variable information changes each time the
report is printed
 Specify the paper quality, type, and size
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 Steps to follow when designing reports using
a computer-aided software tool
◦ Determine the need for the report
◦ Determine the users
◦ Determine the data items to be included
◦ Estimate the overall size of the report
◦ Title the report
◦ Number the pages of the report
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 Further steps for designing reports
◦ Include the preparation date on the report
◦ Label each column of data appropriately
◦ Define variable data indicating the type of data
◦ Indicate the positioning of blank lines used to help
organize information
◦ Review prototype reports with users and
programmers
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 Stylistic/aesthetic elements of printed reports
include
◦ Organization
◦ Control breaks
◦ Blank spaces
◦ Margins
◦ Color coding
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 Online screens are designed using screen
design software
 Guidelines for screen design are
◦ Keep the screen simple
◦ Keep the screen presentation consistent
◦ Facilitate user movement among screens
◦ Create an attractive screen
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 Primary considerations for designing
graphical output
◦ Output must be accurate, easy to understand and
use
◦ The purpose of the graph must be determined
◦ Decision makers must be trained in using it
◦ Provide the ability to call up a variety of user views
as well possible commands
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 Design principles must be used when
designing Web sites
 These include
◦ Using professional tools
◦ Studying other sites
◦ Using Web resources
◦ Examining the sites of professional Web site
designers
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 Further principles
◦ Using tools that you are familiar with
◦ Consulting books
◦ Looking at examples of poorly designed pages
◦ Creating Web templates. Style sheets allow you to
format all Web pages in a site consistently
◦ Using plug-ins, audio, and video sparingly
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 Guidelines for using graphics when designing
Web sites are
◦ Use either JPEG or GIF formats
◦ Create a few professional-looking graphics for use
on your page
◦ Keep the background simple and readable
◦ Examine your Web site on a variety of monitors and
graphics resolutions
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 Guidelines continued
◦ Save JPEG images at the highest quality possible
within a reasonable size
◦ Use horizontal rules to separate sections of Web
pages
◦ Use colorful bullets for lists and hot buttons for
links
◦ Keep graphics images small and reuse images
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 Guidelines continued
◦ Use transparent GIF files to make images that are
not rectangular
◦ Use a graphics package to tilt your image
◦ Follow the three clicks rule which states that you
should be able to go to any page in three clicks
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 To improve the presentation of a corporate
Web site
◦ Provide an entry screen or home page
◦ Keep the number of graphics to a reasonable
minimum
◦ Use large and colorful fonts for headings
◦ Use interesting images and buttons for links
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 Ideas continued
◦ Use the same graphics image on several Web pages
◦ Avoid overusing animation, sound, and other “busy”
elements
◦ Provide an area on the left side or on the top of the
Web page for links to other pages in the Web site
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 Ideas continued
◦ Make sure that your Web page does not scroll
horizontally, keep the vertical page under 2½
screens
◦ Make sure that your initial page loads quickly
◦ Add one or two Java applets if possible
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 Planning a Web site involves
◦ Designing the structure of the Web site
◦ Focusing on the content
◦ Using meaningful text
◦ Including appropriate graphics
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 Further Web site planning guidelines
◦ Paying attention to the presentation of the Web site,
with a consideration of download times
◦ Constructing navigational links
◦ Promoting the Web site
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 You can encourage companies to promote
your Web sites by:
◦ Using e-mail to promote your site
◦ Encouraging readers to bookmark your site
◦ Submitting your site to search engines
◦ Making it clear who is maintaining the Web site
◦ Performing perpetual maintenance of the Web site
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Designing effective output week viii

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