The Essential Guide to User Interface Design: An Introduction to GUI Design Principles and Techniques, 3rd Edition

STEP 2

Understand the Business Function

A thorough understanding of the user has been obtained, and the focus now shifts to the business function being addressed. Requirements must be determined and user activities being performed must be described through task analysis. From these, a conceptual model of the system will be formulated. Design standards must also be created (if not already available), usability goals established, and training and documentation needs determined.

A detailed discussion of all of these topics is beyond the scope of this book. The reader in need of more detail is referred to books exclusively addressing systems analysis, task analysis, usability, training, and documentation. The general steps to be performed are the following:

• Perform a business definition and requirements analysis.
• Determine basic business functions.
• Describe current activities through task analysis.
• Develop a conceptual model of the system.
• Establish design standards or style guides.
• Establish system usability design goals.
• Define training and documentation needs.

Business Definition and Requirements Analysis

The objective of this phase is to establish the need for a system. A requirement is an objective that must be met. A product description is developed and refined, based on input from users, marketing, or other interested parties.

Information Collection Techniques

There are many techniques for capturing information for determining requirements. Keil and Carmel (1995), Popowicz ...