Direct manipulation Designing the university’s library website using Direct manipulation Proposal 18

What do you need to do? Need to design a concept ional model for the university’s library’s website for the interface using direct manipulation. Revamp the website to make it easier for people who are not familiar with the website’s interface to navigate through the website using objects which are used in real life to relate to their purpose on the website. Making the website simpler to the user via direct manipulation What is direct manipulation? Continuous representation of the objects in interest. Uses physical actions (such as grasping, dragging, pressing buttons) used instead of commands. The actions of the user on these objects are instantly visible. This is as opposed to a command line interface where the user needs to type a command in for the user to get to what they want

Tasks the user will be doing Searching for books by their attributes i.e. title or author Updating their personal record with the library Renewing the books they have on loan with the library Reserving books to pick up the next day

Searching On the main page there should be just an object to click to go straight to a new page dedicated to searching for a book and not on the current system where there are different buttons directing to different pages depending how they want to search by because it can be more confusing to the user. Instead of having it search the entire collection, the page should be “advanced” having a combo box for the user to select how he/she want to search by, then selecting where they want to search in (such as journals, theses etc) so that the user does not need to go through a series of pages to establish that. Its more direct to the user.

Personal Records Personal records should direct them to page to login. Once logged in the system, the information should be laid out in a folder style of information, having personal information on one tab, books loaned out on another, account details on another etc. The personal records information should be in boxes which you can directly edit, instead of you needing to go to another page to update it. When exiting out of this text box, the page should auto update what’s in the box now with the database, instead of the user needing to press update to make the changes.

Renewing books Object on the interface to direct the user to a new page displaying all the books that are on loan with the user in order of when they are due back. The books that are out on loan should be represented as an object (picture of a book) which can be dragged along the screen into a basket with a recycle symbol (show the user the basket is for books the user wants to renew). Once the book is “dropped” into the basket then the page auto updates the book’s due back time. It will be linked to the user’s personal information folder interface.

Reserving books Once the user has finished searching for the books, then the user can drag the books name into a “shopping basket” to put the books in reservation. Once the user is happy with the selection the user should click on the “shopping basket” and it bring to a new page. If the book is already on loan or is not available to be taken out of the library then the books name cannot be dragged and a large cross appears over the book name making it clear its not available for loan. If the user is not happy with his/hers selection then they can edit the selection by dragging the books name into a “bin” allowing the user to rid of the book. Once the user is happy with the selection then the user can press a button representing a checkout. They should then login and collect the books from the library within the time allocated.

Metaphor for interface The interface is built round the conception of a bookcase. For search there will be a magnifying glass on the bookcase, which is a button that directs the user to a new page. For personal information held by the library to view and edit, the user must pluck out the folder from the bookcase to view the information, like real life. In the interface this will proceed to a new page. When the user closes the folder, the interface goes back to the bookcase. In search the user picks the books that was displayed in a bookcase to be reserved. The user can pluck the books from the bookcase and into a shopping basket. The user can then reserve he/she ‘s selection.

Why a bookcase? People relate to bookcases being in libraries and containing books in general. If the user wants to take out a book then he / she will need to pluck it out from the bookcase, just like real life. Personal information is stored in a “book” and for people to read and amend their personal information they need to get the book and open it. Book case is used as a metaphor and I propose to base the interface around it. It is simple and most users will know what it is used to represent. The magnifying glass is used to represent searching for books, which takes the user to another page allowing them to for a new book.

Interface design The interface will be of a bookcase at the start of the page. There will be two clickable links. The pointer will turn into a magnifying glass when the pointer is over the books. When the user clicks, the user will be transported to the search page. There will be a row of folders on the bookcase as well, used to represent the users personal information. When they click on these folders, they will be directed to a new page with all the users personal information on it. At the end of the search, the books will be listed in a column, with their name next to them. The user can drag these books into a basket using the pointer. In a small page of the screen, the user is shown what's in his basket. When the book is moved into the basket, the book is removed and the book is added to the basket list. When the user clicks on the folders, the user will be directed to a new page, where they can view and edit their information such as personal details, book loans etc. this is sorted out in a folder file system way, where personal information is on one tab, loans is on another.

Mappings How the user performs it - removing a book from the library How the interface performs it - user has to move the book from the “columned” bookcase and into a basket to take the book How the user performs it - if the book not there on the bookcase, it cannot be loaned How the interface performs it - if the user tries to move a book that is not available to be loaned then the user cannot move the book with the pointer and a cross appears over the box How the user performs it - edit their personal information they use edit their record for that type of information in a folder. How the interface performs it - the user clicks on folders, then selects the tabs user wants to view he/she ‘s details and edits the information. The information is automatically updated