1. Output Design & Prototype
Chapter-10
Output Design & Prototype
Dewi Aprillovi , MTI

2. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
Types of Outputs
There are two basic types of computer outputs, external and internal.
External outputs leave the system to trigger actions on the part of their recipients or confirm actions to their recipients.
Most external outputs are created as preprinted forms that are designed and duplicated by forms manufacturers for use on computer printers.
Some external outputs are designed as turnaround documents.
Turnaround outputs are those which are typically implemented as a form eventually reenters the system as an input.
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Outputs present information to system users. Outputs, the most visible component of a working information system, are the justification for the system. During systems analysis, you defined output needs and requirements, but you didn't design those outputs. In this section, you will learn how to design effective outputs for system users

3. 464-465 Figure 13.1 Typical External Output
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4. 464,466 Figure 13.2 Typical External Turnaround Output
Notice that the invoice has a top and lower portion. The top portion is to be detached and returned with the customer payment.

5. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
Types of Outputs
There are two basic types of computer outputs, external and internal. (continued)
Internal outputs stay inside the system to support the system's users and managers.
Internal outputs fulfill management reporting and decision support requirements.
Management information systems typically produce three types of reports: detailed, summary, and exception.
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6. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
Types of Outputs
Internal Outputs (continued)
Detailed Reports:
Present information with little or no filtering or restrictions.
Some detailed reports are historical in nature.
Detailed reports confirm and document the successful processing of transactions and serve as an audit trail for subsequent management inquiry.
These reports assist management planning and controlling by generating schedules and analysis.
Other detailed reports are regulatory, that is, required by government.
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No additional notes provided.

7. Sample Detail Report

8. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
Types of Outputs
Internal Outputs (continued)
Summary Reports:
Categorize information for managers who do not want to wade through details.
The data for summary reports is typically categorized and summarized to indicate trends and potential problems.
The use of graphics (charts and graphs) on summary reports is also rapidly gaining acceptance because it more clearly summarizes trends at a glance.
No additional notes provided.

9. Sample Summary Report

10. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
Types of Outputs
Internal Outputs (continued)
Exception Reports:
Filter data before it is presented to the manager as information.
Exception reports only report exceptions to some condition or standard.
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11. Sample Exception Report

12. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
Output Media and Formats
A medium is what the output information is recorded on, such as paper or video display device.
Format is the way the information is displayed on a medium for instance, columns of numbers.
We assume you are familiar with different output devices, such as printers, plotters, computer output on microfilm (COM), and CRT display terminals. These are standard topics in most introductory information systems courses. In this chapter, we are more concerned with the actual output than with the device.

13. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
Output Media and Formats (cont)
There are several different formats you can choose for communicating information on a medium.
Tabular output using columns of text and numbers is the oldest and most common format for computer outputs.
Zoned output places text and numbers into designated areas of a form or screen.
Graphic output is the use of a graph or chart to convey information.
Most of the computer programs written probably generated tabular reports.
Zoned output is often used in conjunction with tabular output. For example, an order output contains zones for customer and order data in addition to tables (or rows of columns) for ordered items.

14. Sample : Chart Type on MS Excel
Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
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Figure 13.4 Chart Types Available in Microsoft’s Excel Spreadsheet
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15. Sample : Bar Chart 469-470 Figure 13.5a Sample Bar Chart
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16.
Figure 13.5b Sample Column Chart
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17.
Figure 13.5c Sample Pie Chart
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18. 470
Figure 13.5d Sample Line Chart
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19. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
The following general principles are important for output design:
Computer outputs should be simple to read and interpret. These guidelines may enhance readability:
Every report or output screen should have a title.
Reports and screens should include section headings to segment large amounts of information.
Information in columns should have column headings.
Because section headings and column headings are sometimes abbreviated to conserve space, reports should include legends to interpret those headings.
Legends should also be used to formally define all fields on a report. You never know whose hands a report might end up in!
Computer jargon and error messages should be omitted from all outputs.
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20. Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
The following general principles are important for output design: (continued)
The timing of computer outputs is important.
Outputs must be received by their recipients while the information is pertinent to transactions or decisions. This can affect how the output is designed and implemented.
The distribution of computer outputs must be sufficient to assist all relevant system users.
The computer outputs must be acceptable to the system users who will receive them.
An output design may contain the required information and still not be acceptable to the system user. To avoid this problem, the systems analyst must understand how the recipient plans to use the output.
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21. How to Prototype & Design Computer Outputs
Step 1: Identify System Outputs
The design unit DFDs identify one output requirements that must be designed.
These outputs can easily be identified by examining the DFD for dataflows that are connecting to external entities.
The designer may have to interview users and to brainstorm outputs of the system.
Examine data model.
Output requirements should have been defined during systems analysis. A good starting point for output design is the design unit DFDs for the new system. The design unit DFDs identify one output requirements that must be designed. These outputs can easily be identified by examining the DFD for dataflows that are connecting to external entities. Content and other requirements for these outputs may have documented in the project dictionary. In the absence of such models, as is the case during discovery prototyping, the designer is expected to interview users and to brainstorm outputs of the system.
Brainstorming outputs can easily be done by examining the data model for the new system. By examining the various data entities, content, and their relationships with other entities, the designer tries to think of possible outputs (containing information describing those entities and their relationships) that may be useful to the system users. To ensure that the possible report is useful the designer must be knowledgeable of the overall business-side of the system being supported.

22. How to Prototype & Design Computer Outputs
Step 2: Select Output Medium and Format
The decision for the best output medium and format was based on:
The type and purpose of the output.
The technical and economic feasibility.
Several design issues need to be addressed.
What medium would best serve the output?
What would be the best format for the report?
How frequently is the output generated?
How many pages or sheets of output will be generated for a single copy of a report?
First, you must understand the type and purpose of the output. Is the output an internal or external report? If it's an internal report, is it a historical, detailed, summary, or exception report? If it's an external report, is the form a turnaround document?
What would be the best format for the report? Tabular? Zoned? Graphic? Narrative? Some combination of these? After establishing the format, you can determine what type of form or paper will be used. Computer paper comes in three standard sizes: 81/2''11,'' 11''14,'' and 8''14.'' Many printers can now easily compress 132 columns of print into an 8-inch width. You need to determine the capabilities and limitations of the intended printer. Despite the increase in larger 17” and 21 “ high-resolution monitors today, it is still recommended that display outputs (thus, the entire application screens) be designed for the lowest common denominator to ensure that all users be able to run the application and see the screens on their computers. Thus, it is still recommended that screen applications be able to run on systems having 640 X 480 screen resolution. If a preprinted form is to be used, requirements for that form must be specified. Should the form be designed for mailing? What will be the form's size? Will the form be perforated for bursting into several sections? What legends and instructions need to be printed on the form (both front and back)? What colors will be used and for which copies? Incidentally, form images can be stored and printed with modern laser printers, thereby eliminating the need for dealing with forms manufacturers in some businesses.
How frequently is the output generated? On demand? Hourly? Daily? Monthly? For scheduled outputs, when do system users need the report? Today, the generation of reports is more commonly done by the user themselves. However, in the event that reports are to printed by the information services department, they must be worked into the information systems operations schedule. For instance, a report the system user needs by 9:00 a.m. on Thursday may have to be scheduled for 5:30 a.m. Thursday. No other time may be available.

23. How to Prototype & Design Computer Outputs
Step 3: Prototype The Output for System Users
The format or layout of an output directly affects the system user's ability to read and interpret it.
The best way to lay out outputs is to sketch or, better still, generate a sample of the report or document via prototyping.
When prototyping outputs, it is important to involve the user to obtain feedback.
The user should be allowed to actually exercise or test the screens.
We need to show that sketch or prototype to the system user, get feedback, and make modifications to the sample. It's important to use realistic or reasonable data and demonstrate all control breaks.
Prior to the availability of prototyping tools, analysts could only sketch rough drafts of outputs to get a feel for how system users wanted outputs to look. With modern tools, we can develop more realistic prototypes of these outputs. Perhaps the least expensive and most overlooked prototyping tool is the common spreadsheet. Examples include Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft's Excel, and Borland's Quattro. A spreadsheet's tabular format is ideally suited to the creation of rapid prototypes. Arithmetic and logical formulas and functions can be placed in cells (a cell is the intersection of a row and column); therefore, spreadsheets can automatically calculate and recalculate some cells to make the information accurate. Finally, most spreadsheets now include facilities to quickly convert tabular data into a variety of popular graphic formats. Consequently, spreadsheets provide an unprecedented way to prototype graphs for system users.
Many CASE products support or include facilities for report and screen design and prototyping via a project repository created during systems analysis. Some CASE products provide links to various programming languages. The link may allow the prototype screens to be fed to the programming language for subsequent enhancement and use, or simply allow repository access.
Recall that most database management systems or fourth-generation languages include powerful applications generators for quickly prototyping fully functional systems. If a prototype database was created during database design, the test data stored in the database can be used to prototype reports and screens. Most systems prototyping tools include report writers and query languages that allow analysts (or systems users) to quickly design and generate samples of outputs.

24. 474 Figure 13.6 Sample of CASE Tool for Prototyping
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25. 1 2 4 5 3 475 Figure 13.7 Sample Report Customization Prototype Screen
The figure above represents the prototype of the screen that the user can use to choose a particular report (or graph) and customize its content. The following points should be noted:
A tab dialogue box is used to allow the user to select between obtaining a report or graph. A tab control is used to present a series of related information. If the user clicks on the tab labeled Graph, information would be display for customizing the output as a graph.
A drop-down list is used to select the desired report. The user can click on the downward arrow to obtain a list of possible reports to choose from.
The user is provided with a series of check boxes that correspond to general options for customizing the selected report. The user simply “checks” those options they wish to appear on the report.
A group of check boxes is also used to allow the user to select one or more product categories they wish to include on the report.
Once again, a group of check boxes are used to allow the user to further customize the report to their liking. Here the user is allowed to indicate the type of summary information or totals they wish to have reported for each product category.

26. 476 Figure 13.8 Sample Report Prototype Screen
The figure above is a prototype of a typical report that may result from the previous customization screen. Examine the content and appearance of the tabular report. We draw your attention to the following:
Icons are included for activating commands for allowing the user to “zoom” the report to 100%, fit the report to window size, and to adjust the page width. These features take into consideration the user and often times difficult task of viewing a report on a display screen.
Buttons are included for activating commands were included to permit the user to easily move from one report page to another (Notice that the window’s scroll bar is active allowing the user to scroll through the report.)
A Printer Icon is provided as a visual clue to suggest that the user can request a hardcopy of the report.
The user is given the opportunity to save the report as a file or to load a different report.

27. 2 1 3 476-477 Figure 13.9 Sample Graph Prototype Screen
Let’s take a look at a prototype of a graphic version of the MEMBER RESPONSE SUMMARY output. Note the following:
Notice that the graph is clearly labeled along the vertical and horizontal axis.
A legend has been provided to aid in interpreting the graph bars.
The designer has implemented drill-down capability. Drill-down is used to allow the user to get additional, more detailed data about a component. Here, the user clicked on a portion of a graph bar and as a result was provided with the specific data value. 1 3

28. Summary Principles & Guidelines for Output Design
How to Prototype & Design Computer Outputs

29. Reference
Whitten, Bentley & Dittman
Jogiyanto