2c Design considerations

2c Design considerations

1. Colour

   • Must be suitable for user to view data
     • e.g. contrasting dark text with light background
   • Positives
     • O - Attractive interface
     • O- Can use oporate colours
     • O - Good for seperation
     • O - Soft background can aid dislexic
   • Negative
     • X - Some colours aren't distinguishable by the colour blind
     • X - Too many colours can be distracting
     • X- Clashing colours e.g. red and green, may be unattractive.

2. Layout

   • Positives
     • O - White space makes system look less cluttered
     • O - Consistency makes it easier to be familiar with software
       • e.g. common buttons in same place on each page
       • e.g. Consistent input devices, less switching
       • Similar menus and submenu structures and options
       • O - Less time looking for items increases productivity
     • O - Common theme in package means more transferable skills between sofware
   • Logical tab order and grouping
     • left to right and up to down

3. Quantity of information

   • People can only remeber about 7 items at a time, not to much info given at a time.
     • This can slow user as they will have to keep re-reading items
   • Related info kept together
   • Has to be relevant to tasks

4. Font

   • Legible e.g not curvasive
     • San serif (no curls) is reasy to read
     • comic sans for kids
   • Size appropriate to user
     • 12pt for adults
     • 14-16 pt for children
   • X - Bad font or style can cause strain from changing focus and lower productivity

5. Language

   • Clear and non-complex. Not technical
   • No slang
   • X - Harsh error messages can be frustrating
   • O - Use constructive messages

6. Form Controls

   • Radio Buttons
     • O- User only has one choice, so prevents error of selecting multiple choices
     • X- User may feel more than one option is suitable
   • Labels
     • O - Change be changed
     • O - Useful for instructions
     • X - User can't customise instruction e.g. change font size.
   • Text box
     • O - User can enter text of their choice
     • O - Data can be validated
     • X - Text for commands has to be written in specific ways
     • X - Prone to spelling errors
   • Drop-down boxes
     • O - User is given selection saving time typing
     • O - Automatic validation
     • O - No unwanted enter
     • X Options may exclude what best suits the user
     • X - User may accidentally chose adjacent option
   • Spinners
     • O - User doesn't need keyboard to change numerical values
     • X - Takes long time to input large figures
   • Tick box
     • O - More than one can be selected for a more inclusive view
     • X - Things might get clicked and selected accidentally.
   • Button
     • O - Customisable with macros
     • O - User doesn't need to know how it works
     • X - User may not know what the button does
     • X - Badly set up button may cause errors