User Interface Design 2505ICT

Workshop Seven Participatory Design

You are a design team working on the interface that will be used within a library.
This is an in-house system that allows people using the library to locate the books
or material that theyre after, and to be directed to where that material is held.
Theres just one catch this library is in Timbuktu.
Fortunately, you have access to a librarian from the library in Timbuktu, and they
will
work with you to design the interface. Work with them to get the answers you need,
and together develop an interface design for your aspect or feature. You can use
any of the design tools weve covered so far
1. Identify the goal for your design session
The goal for this design session is to implement an interface for the local library in
Timbuktu.
As Timbuktu is in a 3rd world country the facilities available are slim. Internet usage
is limited due to the on
Going war conflict due to being targeted by the Jihad terrorist.
The client has provided background information on the organisation that the
proposed system is being designed for and requirements have been given.
The system being designed will have the ability to do the following:

Enter book information

Retrieve book description
Check availability
Reserve Book
Record information of the end user
Update the database/booklist e.g on loan
Deactivate book security
Print:
o Hire Description
o Due return date

2. Identify who will be affected by this aspect or feature

o
o
o
o
o
o

End users
The townspeople of Timbuktu
Library users
Government
Staff and Employees of the library
Visitors and Tourists

3. What dont you know?

The end users who will be using the system

The facilities available at the library e.g
o Internet and speed compatibilities
o Equipment like scanners
o Power capabilities
o Security capabilities

4. What do you need to know?

Cultural backgrounds
Capabilities of systems
Items of historic importance such as manuscripts
What systems the other libraries in Timbuktu use
Exact locations libraries
System capabilities e.g storage of books descriptions
Staff capabilities e.g ability to self-maintain the system.

The design process what worked and what challenges

arose
As we had one team member providing background information about Timbuktu,
the information given was quite broad and generic and didnt focus so much on the
system requirements and what current systems/abilities are currently available.
When other team members asked for further clarification the librarian couldnt
provide the answers.
Questions such as:
o
o
o

What facilities available at the library, in particular the Internet and speed
compatibilities.
The equipment available and security capabilities.
What systems are currently in place amongst the other libraries in Timbuktu.

These questions could not be answered correctly so as a result the rest of the team
could not design a system that fully meet the requirements.
In reflection, there were further qualifying questions that could be asked such as:
o
o

Language barriers - what language do the users speak.

Consulting local librarian about what system they have already can they log
onto system from home? Clarification