1. Decision Support System Course
Dr. Aref Rashad
Part:3
User Interface
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

2. Mechanisms of User Interfaces User Interface Components
Action Language
Display or Presentation Language
Knowledge Base
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

3. Purpose
The purpose of the user interface is communication between the human and the computer, known as human-computer interaction (HCI) in order to minimize the amount of incorrectly perceived information and the amount of effort expended by the decision maker.
Requirements
Allow users to work in a comfortable way and to focus on the data and the models in a way that supports a decision.
Must be easily learned, simple, structured, and consistent so that users
know what to expect and where to expect it on the screen
• Provide feedback, direct manipulation and graphical input.
• Avoid unnecessary reporting.
Satisfy the user's perceptions, feelings and opinions about the decision
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

4. Goals
Reasonable speed at which decision makers can glean available information
Good Presentation of data, important and informative patterns are highlighted, consider attraction attributes like intensity of the color, the location, the orientation, the form of the object (width, size, shape, etc.), and motion.
• Provide choices.
• Optimize for responsiveness; accommodate latency.
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

5. Mechanics of User Interface
Range of mechanisms for user interfaces:
keyboard and the mouse
Mobile phone
pen-and-gesture-based device
large screens
virtual reality
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

6. User Interfaces Components
User Interface Components
• Action language
• Display or presentation language
• Knowledge base

7. Action Language Basic Types
The action language identifies the form of input used by decision makers to enter requests into the DSS
Five main types of action languages have been used:
Menu format
Question-answer format
Command language format
Input/output structured format
Free form natural language format

8. Menu format The most common action language today
Display one or more lists of alternatives, commands, or results from which decision makers can select.
Provides a structured progression through the options available in a program to accomplish a specific task.
Use the process of guiding the user through the steps with a set of pictures or commands that are easy for the user to understand
Appealing to inexperienced users, who can thereby use the system immediately
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

9. One Form of a Menu

10. A “Ribbon Bar” as a Menu

11. An Alternative Menu Format

12. Menu Design Considerations
Menu choices should be clearly stated.
The names of the options or the data should coincide with those used by the decision makers
Options to be listed in a logical sequence
Group commands and objects together, and allow users to select all attributes that are appropriate.
Apply nested menu, if needed
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

13. Independent Command and Object Menus

14. Combined Command and Object Menu

15. Nested Menu Structure

16. Question-Answer Format
A second option for the action language is to provide users questions they must answer.
One attribute of the question-answer format in some environments is the opportunity to embed information into the questions
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

17. Question-Answer Format

18. Personalized Question-Answer Format

19. Command Language
The command language format allows user-constructed statements to be selected from a predefined set of verbs or noun-verb pairings
The command language format allows the user to control the systems' operations directly providing greater latitude in choosing the order of the commands
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

20. Command Language Format

21. Input-Output Structured Formats
Present users with displays resembling a series of forms, with certain areas already completed.
Users can move through the form and add, change, or delete prespecified information as if completing the form by hand
Since the completion of the form is integrated with the development of the design, as design features change, the form will be updated immediately.
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

22. I/O Structured Format

23. Free-Form Natural Language Format
No preconceived structure in the way commands should be entered

24. Display or Presentation Language
Describes how the computer provides information back to the user.
Visual Design Issues
The goal of the display of a DSS is for people to be able to understand and appreciate the information provided to them.
The display should help users evaluate alternatives and make an informed decision and do that with a minimum amount of work
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

25. Rules of Visual Design
The first rule of design is that the display should be readable
Fewest possible words, User Terminology, Readable font
The second rule of design is to control color
Neutral color, enough contrast, highlighting
The third rule of design is to control location and size.
The largest item and the one on the top left corner will get user’s attention first, logical order
The fourth rule of design is to keep the display organized
Avoid noise, Consistent use of size ,shape and location
The fifth rule of design is to make the navigation easy.
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

26. Windowing The task of organizing information depends on:
kind of models
kind of decision maker
kind of environment in which one is working.
Use of the Windows standard for many products makes the design
of an uncluttered display easier
Windows can be sized and placed by the users so they can customize their analysis of the information
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

27. Windowed Output

28. Representations The goal is to show the results of some analysis
The appropriateness of the output depends on what the decision maker expects to do with the information
Designers should take care to use rich visualizations that convey the analysis most accurately and most efficiently to the user.
The appropriate output might be animation and/or video rather than a display on a screen
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

29. Icon Options

30. Metriglyphs

31. Map of Sales Volume Drawn to Scale

32. Graphical Representation

33. Disaggregate Posting of Results

34. Minard’s Map of Napoleon’s 1812 Russian Campaign
The path of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow is depicted by the dark lower band, which is tied to temperature and time scales.
So, by simply looking at the graph, you can discern the size of the army and its location and direction at any time as well as the temperature on some days

35. Relationship Diagram
relationship diagram from a social networking site showing one person's contacts through the site

36. Depth of Relationship Diagram
This particular diagram illustrates all of the companies (the darker highlighted items) at which we have placed interns in the last year as well as how many and what kinds of other relationships they have with the department and with each other (the lighter highlighted items).
It allows the decision maker to see the depth of the relationship, not simply that there is a relationship

37. On-Screen Analysis Change Prompting
Provide users an easy way of changing the analysis

38. Additional On-Screen Prompting

39. Scaling Deception

40. Distortion in Histogram
The use of icons on bar charts can leave inappropriate impressions

41. Individual Histogram Aggregated Histogram
Aggregated data can allow decision makers to generalize inappropriately from the data.

42. Use of International Symbols

43. Support for All Phases of Decision Making
Displays must be constructed so as to help decision makers through all the phases in decision making
Intelligence
The decision maker is looking for problems or opportunities. The DSS should help by continually scanning relevant records
Automatically notify productivity is low, absenteeism is high
Design:
Users are developing and analyzing possible courses of action. Displays must be created that will help users generate alternatives.
Alert for violations of model assumptions, teleconference with employees at a remote plant to initiate ideas
Choice :
DM selects a course of action from those available.
Compare and contrast the various options, Prompt users to complete sensitivity analysis
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad

44. Knowledge Base
The knowledge base, as it refers to a user interface, includes all the information users must know about the system to use it effectively. We might think of this as the instructions for systems operation, including how to initiate it, how to select options, and how to change options
In the DSS context, there are additional ways of delivering the knowledge base. One popular mechanism is training by example. The user is taken through a complete decision scenario and shown all the options used and why
This means there must be ways for experienced users and inexperienced users to obtain the kind of help they need and the training and help must be for specific techniques and models.
February 2013
Decision Support Systems Course .. Dr. Aref Rashad