Mumbai University > Computer Engineering > Sem 8 > Human Machine Interaction

Marks: 10M

In designing a Web Site Navigation scheme there are two things to take in consideration:

1. Never assume that users know as much about a site as the site designers do.
2. Any page can be an entry point into the website.

Web site navigational design includes:

Web site organization:

Divide content into logical fragments, units or chunks. Establish a hierarchy of generality or importance.

• Components of a Web Navigation System:- To move between Web site information fragments necessitates the creation of navigation links.
• General link guidelines are: Sensible and Available
• Obvious and Distinctive
• Consistent
• Textual
• Provide multiple navigation paths

Browser Command Buttons

Hide the split between the browser and the Web site application by including navigational controls within the application.

Web Site Navigation Bars

Provide a global navigation bar at the top of each page. Provide a local category or typical links navigation bar on the left side of a page.

Textual Phrases

Provide a mix of textual phrase links: In explicit menus.

Graphical Images or Icons

Graphical images or icons may appear in an array in the form of a navigation bar or be individually located at relevant points in a page.

Command Buttons

Command buttons may appear in an array in the form of a navigation bar or be individually located at relevant points in a page.

Selection of Window:

Window Characteristics

• A name or title, allowing it to be identified.

• A size in height and width (which can vary).

• A state, accessible or active or not accessible.

• Visibility – the portion can be seen.

• A location, relative to the display boundary.

• Presentation – its arrangement with respect to other windows.

• Management capabilities.

• Highlighting.

• The function, task or application to which it is dedicated.

Attraction of Windows

• Presentation of Different Levels of Information.

• Presentation of Multiple Kinds of Information.

• Sequential Presentation of Levels or Kinds of Information.

• Access to Different Sources of Information.

• Combining Multiple Sources of Information.

• Performing More Than One Task.

• Reminding.

• Monitoring.

• Multiple Representations of the Same Task.

Constraints in Window System Design

• Historical Considerations

• Hardware Limitations

• Human Limitations

Window Management

• Single-Document Interface
• It’s a single primary window with a set of secondary windows.

Multiple-Document Interface

It’s a technique for managing a set of windows where documents are opened into windows. Contains:

• A single primary window called the parent.

• A set of related document or child windows, each also essentially a primary window.

Organizing Window Functions

Window Organization – organize windows to support user tasks.

Number of Windows– minimize the number of windows needed to accomplish an objective.

Window Operations:-

• Active window

  A window should be made active with as few steps as possible.

  Visually differentiate the active window from other windows.

• Opening a window

  Provide an iconic representation or textual list of available windows

  If more than one object is selected and opened, display each object in a separate window.

  Designate the last window selected as the active window.

• Sizing windows

  Provide large-enough windows to present all relevant and expected information for the task.

• Window placement

  Position the window so it is entirely visible.

• Window separation

  Crisply, clearly and pleasingly demarcate a window from the background of the screen on which it appears.

• Moving a window

  Permit the user to change the position of all windows.

• Resizing a window

  Permit the user to change the size of primary windows