11.1

CSC 123Systems Analysis & Design

Part IV: Design

Chapter 11

Designing Effective Output

11.2

Systems Development Life Cycle

4. Design4. Design

1. Initiation2. Requirements Capture

3. Analysis

5. Development6. Testing

7. Implementation

11.3

Design Stage Chapters

11.Output

12. Input

13.Databases

14.User Interface

15.Data Entry Procedures

11.4

Topics

• Definitions• Design output• Output technologies• Factors in choosing an output technology• Output bias• Printed output• Output for displays• Web site design

11.5

Output - Defined

• Information delivered to users from the information system through:– LAN– Intranets– Extranets– Internet

• Data may require substantial processing before becoming output

11.6

Output – Defined (cont)

• Forms of output:– Hard copy of printed reports– Soft copies:

• Computer screen• Multimedia• Print preview of report

11.7

Designing Output

Output should be designed to:– Purpose: serve the intended purpose

– Meaning: be meaningful to the user

– Quantity: deliver the right quantity of output

• Information overload, drill-down

– Place: deliver it to the right place (& user)

– On-time: provide output on time

– Method: choose the right output method

11.8

External and Internal Output

• Internal output– used within the corporation– Example: financial reports

• External output– used outside the organization– differs from internal output in design &

appearance– Examples: advertisement, statement, utility bills

11.9

Output Technologies

• Output can be in the form of:– Print– Display screen– Video, Audio, Animation– CD & DVD– Electronic output: e-mail, fax, web, bulletin boards,

RSS

• Producing different types of output requires different technologies.

11.10

Output Technologies (cont)

• Output technologies differ in their:– Speed– Cost– Portability– Flexibility– Storage and retrieval possibilities

11.11

Output Technologies (cont)

• Display screen– Different screen resolutions– Fonts may not appear on client PC

• Video– Combines the impact of audio with a visual channel

• Audio– Transient, usually output for the benefit of one user– Podcasting: voice files can be used to inform customers of

new products, provide a walking tour of a city or other tourist destination, a newscast, or the product of the week.

• Animation– The presentation of different images in a series, one at a time

11.12

Output Technologies (cont)

• 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

11.13

Output Technologies (cont)

• RSS: Really Simple Syndication– A way of gathering and distributing news

and other content from multiple sources.– RSS news readers can either stand alone or

be integrated with your browser as plug-ins.– Has the advantage of efficiently organizing

news and other information from a variety of sources chosen by the user.

– Example: www.ctleuro.ac.cy

11.14

Push and Pull Technology

• Pull technology: – allows the user to take formatted data from

the Web– IFIP Working Group 8.2 Newsletter

• Push technology: – sends information to a customer or client– e-mail subscription

11.15

A Comparison of Output Methods

11.16

Choosing an Output Technology

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?

11.17

Choosing an Output Technology

(continued)– 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?• Noise, temperature, space, cabling, proximity to access

points & transmitters

11.18

Printed Output

• Detailed reports – Print a report line for every record on the master file

• Exception reports– Print a line for all records that match a certain

condition

• Summary reports– Print one line for a group of records and are used to

make decisions

11.19

Output for Displays

• Types of Output:– Display screens– Graphical– Widgets & Gadgets

11.20

Designing Display Screens

Guidelines for display design:– Keep the display simple– Keep the display presentation consistent– Facilitate user movement among displayed

output– Create an attractive display

11.21

Graphical Output

• Can be powerful

• Primary considerations for designing graphical output:– Purpose of graph– Type of data to be displayed– Target audience– Output must be accurate, easy to

understand and use

11.22

Widgets and Gadgets

• Can be any type of a program that may be useful to any person interacting with a computer

• Can empower users to take part in design of their own desktop

• Examples: – clocks, calculators, bookmark helpers, translators,

search engines, quick launch panels, sticky notes

11.23

Web Site Design

• Design principles must be used when designing Web sites

• Guidelines:– Use professional tools (Dreamweaver)– Study other sites– Use Web resources (design hints & guidelines)– Examine sites of professional Web site designers

• www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_500

11.24

Web Site Design (cont)

Guidelines (cont):– Use tools that you are familiar with– Consult books– Examine poorly designed pages

• webpagesthatsuck.com

– Create Web templates (set standards)• Style sheets allow you to format all Web pages in

a site consistently

– Use plug-ins, audio, and video sparingly

11.25

Plan Ahead

• Pay attention to:– Structure– Content: have something to say, FAQs

– Text: clear writing

– Graphics: formats (gif, jpeg), background, resolution

– Presentation style: home page, headings, images

– Navigation: “3 clicks” rule

– Promotion: promoting your site, metatags

11.26

Output Production and XML

• An XML document may be transformed into different output media types

• Methods:– Extensible Style Language Transformations (XSLT)– Ajax: entire Web page does not have to be reloaded– Cascading style sheets (CSS)

11.27

XSLT software can be used to make XML documents and transform them into many different formats for a variety of platforms

11.28

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

• Separate the content from the presentation• Use for uniform design

– allows you to specify the font family, color, size, and so on

• Change one, apply to all• Styles may be set up for different media, such

as display, print, or handheld devices• Styles do not allow you to select or sort XML

elements.

11.29

Key Terms

• Cascading stylesheets• Hard copy• Output• Printed output• Pull technology• Push technology• RSS• Soft copy