1. Information System Design Info-440
Autumn 2002
Session #8

2. Agenda Admin/review Process Conceptual modeling Break Two exercises
Reminder of where we are?
Conceptual modeling
Break
Two exercises
Return quiz
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

3. Admin Announcements Interactive design project Quizzes
Lab today: If you can, please bring scissors, tape, color pencils, etc.
Anyone?
Interactive design project
To learn more about Tablet PCs, try:
Questions?
Proposal due: Oct 28 (Monday)
Quizzes
Back today!
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

4. Last time Design spaces Task analysis/User Flows
Key idea: Map multiple items on a two-dimensional plot
Example dimensions: Task, product, user-satisfaction, market landscape
Task analysis/User Flows
Key idea: Represent goals and tasks
User flows are usually procedural
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

5. Task Analysis/User Flows: Symbols
Goal
start No
Task
Task
Decision
Yes
Other path
Task
Task
end
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

6. Process

7. Development process Define: Vision/scope Deploy: Delivery stable
Version Release
Define: Vision/scope
Needs assessment
Deploy: Delivery stable
technology
Beta software
Vision/scope document
Develop: Build the technology
Design: Invent the
technological solution
Design specifications
document
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

8. Length of Development Cycle
1 Six month cycle
Effective for well-established businesses
Effective when making evolutionary improvements
3 two-month cycles
Effective for new businesses/ideas
Effective when trying to make revolutionary improvements
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

9. Conceptual modeling

10. Shift focus from ‘users’ to the ‘system’
We’ve looked at users long enough!
Contextual inquiry, affinity diagrams, personas, scenarios, task analysis, etc.
Let’s start designing!
Key idea: Difference between logical structure of a system and physical system
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

11. Logical vs. Physical Design
Physical: surface of the interface (skin)
Colors, fonts, zones, grids, graphics, etc.
Discipline: Information design
Logical: structure underlying the interface (skull)
Entities, relationships, attributes, operations, etc.
Examples:
HTML tags vs. spacer gifs
Database schema vs. indexes of tables
XML vs CSS …
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

12. Three example from Quiz
The TV Guide is ordered by day. Each day lists TV shows in a grid according to hour and station.
Index
- Friends 7:30
- Seinfield 8:00 TV
Guide
Show
time
Shows
Times
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

13. In Skull beneath the Skin, What problem did Green and Benyon seek to solve?

14. Notations
In the paper Skull beneath skin, Green & Benyon adapt Entity-Relationship Modeling notation
Entities
Relationships
Attributes
Different modeling languages use different notations
Example: UML, ER, OMT, etc.
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

15. Notation Entities Attributes Relationships
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

16. Relationships more Relationships can have a degree
1 to 1
1 to M
M to M
Relationships can mandatory or optional
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

17. Let’s work some examples on the board
What does the grid for the TV Guide look like?
How could we represent shows?
How could we represent times?
How could we represent the relationship between the two?
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

18. Break

19. Exercise: Reverse engineer a conceptual model for dmoz
What are the entities?
What are the relationships?
What are the attributes?
What operations can be applied to the entities?
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

20. Exercise: Develop a conceptual model for this scenario
Jill is a historian. She wants to help people understand how natural and built environments have changed over time. To do this she wants to develop a site which will allow people to match old photographs of buildings, landscapes, etc. to new photographs. Jill wants people to see, touch, and experience ‘change’.
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

21. Quiz #1 Good work on the quiz Everyone received max points for Lydia
- Your answers will come in handy when you interview for jobs!
Everyone received max points for
Describe a conceptual model for TV Guide.
Lydia
Comments…
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)

22. Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session 8 - 10/23/2002)

23. Next week Topics Two readings Interactive design project
More on conceptual modeling
Begin interaction design
Metaphors and visual formalisms
Two readings
See syllabus
Interactive design project
Proposal due: Oct 28 (Monday)
Copyright David Hendry (INFO-440 session /23/2002)