Systems Analysis I
Designing Output & Input
ISYS 200
Glenn Booker
ISYS 200
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Output & Input Design
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In order to design any information system,
we need to provide a means for data to be
entered into the system, and information to
be output from it
We focus on output design first, since that is
most critical to meeting system requirements
Inputs then need to be complete enough to
allow producing the desired outputs
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Output Design
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Output Design Objectives
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We want output to meet several objectives
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Output has to fulfill a specific purpose
It must be meaningful to the user
The quantity of output must be correct
It must reach the right audience
It must be timely
It should be done using an effective method
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Output Methods
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Outputs can be internal or external
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Internal outputs stay within your organization,
such as reports to managers, salespeople, etc.
or corporate intranet web sites
External outputs leave your organization, such
as bills, public web sites, etc.
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Output Technologies
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There are many ways to produce output
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Printer
Display
Multimedia
CD or DVD
Electronic output
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Push/pull technologies
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Printed Output
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Printed output can be designed for many
forms of printed media
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Traditional letter, legal, or A4 paper sizes
Oversize paper (posters, B through E blueprints)
Custom-size forms (bills, barcodes, receipts)
Continuous paper (scrolls, banners)
Options include color vs. black & white
printing, and where the printer is located
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Display Output
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Displays include
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Traditional monitor (CRT or LCD), including PDA
Special purpose monitors (e.g. for security
or manufacturing)
Touch screens
Oversize or projection monitors
Displays allow for interactive response to
the output, are quiet, and are good for brief
and/or frequently used outputs
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Multimedia Output
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Multimedia output includes audio, video,
or animation
Allows for very complex content and/or
repetitive content which may not be
captured well any other way
Is much more expensive to develop, and
often requires relative isolation to use
Can also augment printed or screen outputs
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CD or DVD
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Most applications, and many outputs, are
distributed on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
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Generally serves as a way to get files to a
screen output, not an output technology itself
Could include text, PDF, multimedia, or
many other forms of outputs
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Electronic Output
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Electronic outputs are mainly thought of by
examples such as web sites and email
More formally, it consists of push and pull
technologies
A pull technology makes the information
available, so a user can choose to obtain
it, or ignore it
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Posting a newsletter on a web site, to be
downloaded by a user, is a pull technology
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Electronic Output
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A push technology selects the information,
and sends it to the user
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Sending email to a user with the latest product
specials or books published is a push technology
Both push and pull technologies make use of
other output technologies, such as creating
printable documents, web sites, etc.
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We Left Out
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Obsolete output technologies include
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Magnetic tape
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A 1970’s vintage ½” magnetic tape held up to 9600’
of 9600 bpi tape, for a capacity of about 132 MB
Modern versions are the DAT, DLT, VXA, 4 or 8 mm
tapes used for backups
Paper tape
Microfiche or microfilm
Punch cards
Stone tablets
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Choosing Technology
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Choosing the right output technology must
consider many factors
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Who is the audience?
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How technologically savvy are they?
What level of quality and detail do they expect?
How many recipients are there?
What is the purpose of the output?
How fast does it need to be generated?
How often does it need to be generated?
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Choosing Technology
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Will it be stored? If so, how long?
Are there any restrictions regarding the
production, storage, or distribution of the output?
Are there any environmental requirements on
creating the output?
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What cost is acceptable for creating the output
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Acoustic noise, smell, space, electromagnetic noise,
temperature, connections to other equipment
Consider both initial and maintenance costs, and the
cost of supplies
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Avoiding Bias
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Outputs can introduce unintentional bias
from the analyst who designs them
We want to avoid that bias consciously
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How information is sorted
Setting limits (business rules)
Choice of graphics
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Sorting Information
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Output data are often sorted by cost, time,
or alphabetically
The manner chosen to present results can
place accidental emphasis on output results
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Hence many business names start with multiple
A’s, so they show up first in the Yellow Pages
Only one in six Internet users can tell paid ads
(e.g. “sponsored links”) from genuine search
results (see here)
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Setting Limits
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The limits used to generate output (e.g.
determine the scope of what is presented)
can introduce bias
Often such limits are based on business rules
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How long overdue is ‘too much’ for a bill?
A week? A month?
How old are sales records before being moved
to an archive? A year? Five years?
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Choice of Graphics
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The way data are presented can introduce
severe bias in their interpretation
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See also How to Lie with Statistics, Huff & Geis,
ISBN 0393310728
Gross Sales ($M)
Gross Sales ($M)
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198
150
196
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194
50
192
0
190
2000
2001
2002
2003
Message: Sales are diving!
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2000
2004
2001
2002
2003
2004
Message: Sales are pretty stable
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Choice of Graphics
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The absence of a Y axis scale leaves a lot to
the imagination
Gross Sales ($M)
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198
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186
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Message: Can’t tell!
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Choice of Graphics
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Comparison to a goal or objective can make
a big difference in interpretation
Sales History
Sales Compared to Goal
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200
150
150
Sales
Sales
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100
50
50
0
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2000
Message: Sales are
declining recently
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Sales Goal
2001
2002
2003
2004
Message: Sales are getting
closer to our goals
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Avoiding Bias
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So to avoid bias in the design of outputs
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Be aware of the sources of bias
Get users involved in the design of outputs
Establish clear sources and specific business
rules for getting and presenting data
If desired, create flexible output so users can
change limits or ranges
Encourage users to have multiple data views
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Designing Printed Output
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Printed outputs typically include three kinds
of reports
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Detailed reports, which are essentially a dump
of records from a master file in the database
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Exception reports are generated to tell when
something goes out of its allowable limits
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They have little formatting
Late books, overdue accounts, etc.
Summary reports are used to analyze the
data, such as management reports
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Design Conventions
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Most reports have constant information and
variable information
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Constant information describes parameters which
apply to the whole report – titles, search criteria,
report date, etc.
Variable information is the body of the report – a
tabular section in the middle of the report
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Design Conventions
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Printed output design has to choose the
paper *duh*
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The use of color versus black & white ink
Core attributes of a printed output include
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Size, type (regular, bond, security, etc.), and
quality are basic keys
Heading or title of the report, page numbering,
date report was generated, & column headings
Group related data together
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Display Output Design
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Many of the input design principles also
apply to screen output design
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Outputs on screen tend to be
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Display outputs need navigation controls
More transient than printed outputs
More specifically targeted to the user
May be customizable by the user
Access to display outputs might be
password-protected
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Display Output Guidelines
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Any display output should try to:
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Be simple as possible
Keep presentation consistent with other displays
Support user movement and navigation
May want ability to “drill down” for more details
Be attractive
Like printed output, display output should
be reviewed with users of the system to
verify its usability
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Graphics in Display Design
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Graphs and other graphical output can help
users interpret data
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Will discuss more in chapter 10
Keys are to identify
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The purpose of the graph
The data to be presented
The intended audience
What the audience will do after seeing the data
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Web Site Design
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Web site design shares some traits with
screen design, but is complicated by
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Screen resolutions
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From 800 x 600 to 1600 x 1200 pixels
If a public web site
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Varying speeds of connection
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From 56kbps dialup to 7.1 Mbps DSL (or higher)
Varying ability to handle cookies, Java,
JavaScript, Flash, and other types of elements
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Web Site Design
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Limitations by whether the user is browsing with
IE, Netscape, Firefox, Safari, etc.
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See AnyBrowser to avoid browser-specific conflicts
Accordingly, there are many more variables
to make a good web site than a good
display interface
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Web Pages That Suck
Interface Hall of Shame
Jakob Nielsen's Website
The sites cited in the text are good, too
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Web Site Design
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<opinion> If you’re going to do serious web
site design, learn HTML, and stay away from
MS FrontPage
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Try Dreamweaver or HomeSite </opinion>
Key concepts for a good web site include
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Plan the structure – the overall navigational
approach, as well as the scope of each page
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What kind of metaphor does the site follow?
Content – what does the site need to contain?
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Web Site Design
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Text – what does the site need to say?
Graphics
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Learn when to use GIFs and when JPGs,
Keep graphics size and quantity to a minimum
Use thumbnails to link to larger images
Use a consistent presentation style throughout
the site
Check how your site looks using various platforms
(PC, Mac, Unix) and different browsers
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Output Production
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There are many ways to prepare data for
output, depending on its home
Database programs have their own methods
for creating reports
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Or you can dump your database report into a
PDF file
Or you can use generic querying tools
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Crystal Reports, Business Objects
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Output via XML
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The Extensible Markup Language (XML)
helps create output in many formats
A document written in XML can be converted
into many formats from a single source file
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PDF, HTML, and RTF are among output options
XML is based on SGML, the ‘Standard
Generalized Markup Language’, a method
of representing texts in electronic form
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Input Design
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Input Design
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Inputs for an information system seek to
avoid the maxim GIGO
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Garbage In, Garbage Out
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An information system is only valuable if
it has good data, so a key to retaining its
integrity is to control incoming data
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Here we’ll refer to generic inputs as ‘forms’
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Input Design Objectives
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Good input forms help meet basic objectives
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Effectiveness in meeting its purpose
Accuracy ensures data are completed correctly
Ease of use
Consistency in design throughout the application
Simplicity
Attractiveness
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Input Design
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Good forms help guide business processes
by getting data in a consistent manner
Forms are often the first source document for
either data entry, or direct input to a system
Forms should be
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Easy to fill in,
Meet their intended purpose,
Ensure accurate data, and
Be attractive
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Easy to fill in
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The structure of forms helps them be easy to
fill in
Flow should be left to right, and top to bottom
Many forms require seven types of sections
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Heading information, including the title of the form
Identification, such as an invoice number
Instructions – no matter how well designed the
data entry body of the form is, provide instructions
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Easy to fill in
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Body – is the part where the data is entered
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Within the body, sections may be defined for logically
similar data
Signature and verification – for paper forms, some
place to acknowledge the data is correct
Totals, if any – a summary of the finals results
from the form
Comment, if any
See example on page 407
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Easy to fill in
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Captioning refers to using text labels for each
field to be filled in
Captions can be
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In front of a line,
Under a line,
At the top of a table column,
Inside a box, or
Part of a horizontal or vertical checklist (p. 408)
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Meet their intended purpose
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Forms can support several kinds of purposes
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Record, process, store, or retrieve data
The scope of data obtained on a form must
meet the needs of the corresponding outputs
it will feed
Also may use specialty papers for some
printed forms
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Such as perforated forms, continuous forms,
duplicate forms, multi-part forms, etc.
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Ensure accurate data
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This is the most complex aspect of forms
Want to get accurate data, but keep the
number of possible choices limited to
avoid errors
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Validation of data is very important – look for
illogical or impossible combinations of inputs
Double check calculations
Use check boxes, radio buttons, dropdown lists,
or other fixed options to control possible entries
(where possible)
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Be attractive
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Ok, this aspect isn’t critical, but it certainly
helps to have visually appealing forms
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Avoid clutter
Ask for data in a logical sequence
Use a visually logical tab sequence
Group topics into separate sections
Use bold font or exclamations sparingly
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Controlling Forms
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Many organizations have to control forms,
just like any other tool
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What forms exist?
What is the current version of each form?
Are previous editions of the form still usable?
Where do people get forms from?
Typically assign a form number and revision
date to each form
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Web Input Design
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Many of the same principles apply to
web-based form design
Key differences are
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Controlling navigation and cursor location
Availability of context-sensitive help
Possibility of hyperlinks
Want to keep the display simple, use
consistent presentation, support user
movement, and keep it attractive
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Simplicity in Design
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Simplicity in design means only showing
the information necessary
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At least 50% of the screen should show
information relevant to the occasional user
Divide the screen into three sections
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The Heading section, at the top, contains titles,
and maybe icons or pull-down menus
The middle Body section has the actual data entry
The lower Comment section also has reminder
instructions, and navigation controls
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Consistent Display
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A consistent display should follow the
same general layout, navigation scheme,
fonts, etc. throughout the site
Like on paper forms, group similar
information together
Make sure web form obtains the same
data as its paper counterpart, if any
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Support User Movement
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Any web site should provide clear navigation
options for the user
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Follow the three-click rule
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E.g. use the same icons throughout the site
A user should be able to get anywhere in three
clicks or less
Provide the illusion of movement among
forms, such as by paging down, or adding
on-screen dialog
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Keep It Attractive
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Avoid clutter, just like paper forms
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Use multiple windows or hyperlinks to avoid
visual overload
Use logical flows of material and topic
Use graphics, lines, or boxes to help
separate areas
Use inverse video sparingly
Avoid flashing or blinking images…PLEASE
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Interface Tools
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A small number of icons may be used
for navigation
The usual options exist for creating a GUI
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Text boxes, check boxes, radio buttons, lists
and drop-down lists, sliders, spinners, etc.
Tabbed sections can be used for
separate topics
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Colors
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The most legible color combinations are
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Black on yellow
Green on white
Blue on white
White on blue
Yellow on black
For benefit of us colorblind folks, avoid
red on green, or blue on red
Avoid over four colors for most sites
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Page Design
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Some guidance on designing an effective
intranet or Internet web site
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Provide clear instructions, even if you think it’s
not necessary
Use a logical sequence for data entry
Use a variety of boxes, buttons, lists, etc. for data
entry…a zillion text boxes are really boring!
Provide a scrolling text box if a lot of user text
input is allowable
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Page Design
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Every input form needs two buttons: Submit
and Clear Form
If a form is long, divide it into separate pages
Validate that mandatory fields are filled in
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Provide a feedback screen to refuse submission
of an incomplete form
E-Commerce sites also need to ensure that
users are clear on what they are buying, the
quantities, shipping and tax charges
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A shopping cart-type metaphor is expected
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