Terrier News Situation: Terrier News is a monthly newsletter devoted to various breeds of terriers and topics of interest to terrier owners and breeders. Annie West, the editor and publisher, asked you to help her design a system to enter and manage the hundreds of classified ads that Terrier News publishes. Some ads are for dogs wanted; some are for dogs for sale; and some offer products and services.
a. Design a suitable source document for ads that are telephoned or mailed in.
b. Suggest at least four user interface design guidelines that could be used for the new system.
c. Suggest several types of controls that might be used on the switchboard you plan to design. Explain why you chose each control, and create a storyboard that shows the switchboard layout.
c. Suggest several types of controls that might be used on the switchboard you plan to design. Explain why you chose each control, and create a storyboard that shows the switchboard layout.
a. A suitable source document for ads that are telephoned or mailed in could be a classified ad submission form. This form should include fields such as:
- Contact information (name, phone number, email address, mailing address)
- Type of ad (dogs wanted, dogs for sale, products/services)
- Breed of terrier
- Description of the ad (including any specific requirements or additional details)
- Price (if applicable)
- Preferred method of contact
This form can be provided both in print format for mailing purposes and in digital format that can be emailed or submitted online.
b. Four user interface design guidelines for the new system could include:
1. Keep it simple and intuitive: Design the interface to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, with clear instructions and logical organization of options.
2. Consistency: Maintain a consistent layout, design, and terminology throughout the system to make it familiar and predictable for users.
3. Responsiveness: Ensure that the interface is responsive, adjusting to different screen sizes and devices for optimal usability.
4. Provide feedback and error handling: Include appropriate feedback messages and error handling mechanisms to guide users in case of data entry errors or other issues.
c. Several types of controls that might be used on the switchboard for managing classified ads could include:
1. Search bar: Allow users to search for specific ads based on various criteria such as breed, type, and keywords.
2. Filter options: Provide filter options to narrow down the displayed ads based on specific attributes such as price range, location, and publication date.
3. Sort functionality: Enable users to sort the ads based on different criteria like price, date, or relevance to easily find the desired information.
4. Action buttons: Include buttons for common actions like adding a new ad, editing an existing ad, deleting an ad, and saving changes.
Storyboard layout for the switchboard:
[Start]
1. Header with the Terrier News logo and navigation menu.
2. Search bar and filter options on the left side.
3. List of classified ads displayed in a grid format, showing key information such as breed, type, and price.
4. Sort options on the top right corner.
5. Action buttons (add, edit, delete) for managing ads.
6. Pagination or infinite scroll to navigate through multiple pages of ads.
7. Footer with additional links and contact information.
[End]