In which we look at the mysteries of moving from boxes and arrows to a real actual interface. It starts with sketching, goes through basic models of interaction on a screen, and finishes with wireframes.
22. A task analysis
From Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web, this is a task
analysis for a website for Sundance film festival, featuring a schedule
planner
27. Use Wizards:
• When users want to • The audience is not technically
accomplish a goal that has savvy and is likely to be
many steps. Wizards are good confused by a page with a lot
at making sure you don’t miss of choices on it. A Web site
a step. can have novice users, and a
• When the steps must be wizard makes complex tasks
completed in order. Wizards seem easy.
are linear, so it’s impossible to • Bandwidth is low and
complete them any other way. downloading a single big page
• When the task is seldom could take forever, or the tasks
performed. Wizards can seem require several server calls,
slow and plodding, so they are which would also slow the
best used in tasks you do only page’s load.
once in a while, like setting up • The task has several steps in it,
a printer. performed only once a visit,
such as checkout.
41. An Interface is like a table setting, the tools you need are next
to the food you eat. Content is the meal.
42. Two videos sites.
The “meal” is the video, and the tools
to consume (or play with) it are
arrayed around the main meal.
(P.S. There are toolbars too)
43. Why is the response so far
from the invitation?
45. When designing the page, group
items by similarity and similarity of
task (navigation items together,
editing items together)
Give them visual importance based
on user number, usage frequency
and importance to business.
46. • Create “zones”
for functionality
groups.
• You can group
them by putting
white space
around them, or
use lines
• Remember to
keep tools close
to the thing
your working on
52. • Next, add the key
zones
• Start with a list
of elements,
perhaps written
on post its.
Group them,
then find them
homes on your
page.
• The fill in the
actual elements
54. Consider
• Where does the content come from? If you have a list of related
articles, specify how they’re related. Are they the most viewed?
Most viewed from that section?
• What is the nature of the content? Does it vary greatly in length,
size, language,and type?
• Is the element required or optional? What happens if the element
doesn’t appear on that page? Does the layout change?
• Is the element conditional? Does it vary based on other factors?
For example, do administrators see additional links? What happens
if an article doesn’t have an associated image? What if it does?
• What’s the default or expected state? Ideally, what’s supposed to
happen on the page.
• What are the alternate or error states? How does the design
change when things don’t go right?
55. Homework
• Pick a website to sketch out
• Pick a Website to Zone
• Try a page form your project