Human Centric Computing (COMP106)

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Human Centric Computing (COMP106)  

• Assignment 2
• PROPOSAL 23

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Tasks that the user will perform with the
interface.

• The user will search for books using/texts/documen
  ts etc.
• The user will take out books and renew books they
  have out.
• The user will contact the library staff.

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Searching for books.

• The person looking for the book would go into the
  library with the book they need in mind. The
  would look at the library map to see where the
  section that their book is located will be and
  they would then go to look for it. However the
  book may not be there, they may not know the name
  of the book, or the section that it is in. They
  would then have to look at the library catalogue
  or ask a member of staff.
• The interface therefore should be related to
  this, it should show how the user looks for the
  book, finds the section that it is in, and then
  locates the book, giving them further information
  and telling them whether or not the book is
  available or not.
• The current interface does this, but I feel I
  could improve on this.

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Improving searching for books
Internal Model
All books in library.
I think that by changing the internal model, so
that you can search for books that are course
related, or non-course related, the time taken
for the search to complete would be reduced, and
the results would be more relevant. When
searching for course related material, you would
select this in the external mode, and then could
also select the type of material you wish to
search for, such as a book, ebook, exam paper,
text, theses etc, to get a more relevant result.
OR you could simply enter your course code ie
G500 and search for all material for that code.
This would show students all the available
reading material for their course.
Course related
Non-course related
Results
Results
Reference
Interaction
Representation
External Model
Text
Pictures
Forms
The text would be user entered they could enter
anything they wanted, now even including their
course code.
Pictorial representations, buttons would be part
of the GUI these could be used to better relate
the interface to reality.
The forms would be related to databases, so that
if a keyword, course code, author etc was entered
it could search for matching results in the
correct fields of the database
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How could searching be more refined.

• In reality, we as a human being know exactly what
  we are looking for when we go into the library.
  We know all the information that we need, our
  course code, our course, etc
• Therefore the interface should have a section
  that represents this. As human beings we know
  what genre of books we like to read for pleasure
  and what books we need to read for education.
• I think we could develop the interface to have a
  vague form of AI, if we allowed a section of the
  interface for each user to log on. When the
  user registers with the library, their details
  will be on this section, including their course
  code etc. This section could also be linked to a
  student database, which would say where each
  student was (example yr 1, semester 2).
• Then when each user logs on, suggested reading
  for their course could be offered to them.
• The ability to search within their course code
  for book, theses, past papers etc, which would
  all be relevant to that specific user.
• Also by linking this area of the interface to the
  users section of the library database it would be
  possible to offer suggested reading based upon
  recent books that have been taken out by the user
  previously. For example if the user read a lot of
  science fiction. Upon logging on, they could be
  told that a new sci-fi book had come into the
  library and they may wish to read it! This could
  also work for academic reading.

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Borrowing books

• In reality when borrowing books you find the book
  that you want, carry it with you to the check
  out part of the library and you are issued with
  the book and date of return.
• Therefore when borrowing books from the library
  you should be able to do the same.
• You find the book that you want and in reality
  hold onto it, and carry it round with you whilst
  you continue to look. Therefore the interface
  should allow you to do the same. You should be
  able to carry a book with you before you decide
  to take it out.
• Then when you have all the books you want you
  take them all to the check-out together. This
  too should be the same.

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• You find a book you want and wish to continue
  looking
• For this you would need to relate an object with
  a table or database. The object could be a bag,
  or an add to list. This would be so that you
  find a book that you want, and you select it,
  this adds it to the database or table, but allows
  you to continue looking for more books.

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• You now have all the books that you want and wish
  to borrow them.
• You should then return to the site map and go to
  the check-out or borrow section.
• All of the books that you wanted will be in your
  added to the add object will be placed in a list
  within a table, or database, and these books can
  then be borrowed altogether and a return date
  given.
• This is not completely automated but is more
  advanced than taking one book out at a time,
  which is currently available on the site.
• This method would also allow you to navigate away
  from the catalogue section.
• If the for mentioned user space was also
  available the dates for returns, and what books
  you had out would all be visible from here too.
• If you had logged in and searched for the books
  and added them to the add object they would be
  saved in the database, and if you navigated away
  from the site and came back they would still be
  there for you!

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Contacting library staff.

• In reality you would
• Walk into the library. Look at the library map,
  walk to the helpdesk.
• Call up on the phone.
• Email.
• The current interface gives you the actions to do
  this, with addresses, email addresses, phone
  numbers, etc.
• But the new interface could give a FAQ section,
  which could be related to a database of FAQ, a
  keyword could be entered and then the user could
  search for the help they need either that way or
  through an A-Z of FAQ. This may eradicate the
  need to actually contact the library staff as
  answers may be answered through this.
• However at the end of the FAQ it would ask if
  your problem has been solved, if it has not, it
  could then take you to the page within the
  interface that contains all the contact
  information for the library

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Designing a Metaphor for the interface.

• When you walk into the library in reality, the
  first thing that you approach once in there is
  the map of the library. This alone gives you all
  the information you need to get started in the
  library.
• It is for this reason that I feel the interface
  should be a Site map It would be graphically
  like a map with easy to understand graphics, that
  would also have text telling the user what it
  was.
• It would have sections similar to the map of the
  library
• Helpdesk, Borrow/renew books (check-out), search
  for books (library catalogue)
• Etc . . .

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How the metaphor would work for searching for
books.

• The user would look at the interface as if it
  were a map.
• There will be a section on the map with graphic
  illustrations of books, and will say search for
  books
• When this is clicked they will be able to search
  for books much the same way as they do now, but
  with the new refined search method mentioned
  previously, which will save time and eradicate
  any irrelevant results.

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How the metaphor would work for borrowing books.

• Real world experience would say that when the
  user has found books they wish to borrow, they
  would locate the checkout, and go there to take
  books out. Therefore
• Once the user has found books and has added
  them they will then return to the site map,
  look for the checkout and click on the graphical
  icon for checkout, which again will also have
  text, stating what it is.
• The user will then borrow books as usual.

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Contacting Library staff.

• In reality the user would come into the library,
  and look at the map to find the helpdesk, from
  here they could find the answer to their
  problems, or further contact information.
• Therefore on the system the user will locate the
  Help desk on the site map, and will then be
  shown the FAQ. In a way this would be like
  talking to a virtual Librarian. If these FAQ
  (Virtual Librarian) could not help the user, then
  they will be given further methods of making
  contact.

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Interface design

• The interface would be designed around a site
  map. From the site map anywhere within the
  interface can be located. It will work exactly
  the same as an actual map. When a location is
  clicked then the user will be taken to that
  location, always with the ability to return to
  the site map at any time.
• There will be many objects and relations. Mainly
  the objects will be related to relational
  database that will be used to do things such as
• State what course, yr and semester the user is
  in, to allow a more academic related search to
  occur.
• Give a list of recent books taken out by a user
  and suggest, books that they may wish to read,
  based on patterns from other users who read the
  same. This again would come from a database.
• New available actions would include the new My
  space section of the interface which would again
  use a database to give the user a section of the
  interface that was specifically for them, which
  suggested reading, and course related materials.

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Mapping
Task How the user performs it How the interface performs it
1 Searches for an academic book. Inserts course code, inserts key word, computer searches academic books for this code, with the keyword, in a database, and displays all results.
2 Selects a book they wish to borrow. The user clicks add the computer, finds the book in the database, adds it to a database, with today's date and the users details.
3 Borrows a book. The user decides to borrow the books in their added section. The computer changes status of book in the catalogue, to on loan. The computer then relates the book to the users account and details and gives a date of a month from current date for the book to be returned
4 Contacts Library FAQ Database load, if still not satisfied, contact information screen will load.
Site map
Log on
Help/ Contact
Borrow a Book/search
User Database
FAQ Database
My space
Help Desk
Not Answered
Library Catalogue
Search/ Borrow Book
Checkout
Contact Info Page
Borrow (logged on)
Academic
Non- Academic
Select book
Borrow