Iterative Process For Developing A User Interface Through St ✓ Solved

iterative process for developing a user interface through storyboarding

Nowadays, as the technology and the Web are continually being used to perform various operations, it becomes paramount to have an interactive and attractive user interface (Molina, Redondo, & Ortega, 2009). That is because humans interact with these systems through an interface. This iteration entails storyboarding for the user interface. A storyboard is a technique used for illustrating the interaction between humans and products in a narrative format that incorporates a series of sketches, drawings, pictures, and words to tell a story (Gruen, 2000). In this iteration, I plan to create storyboards that specify how the user interface will be changing in reaction to the user’s actions as well as to show the external elements to the system.

I plan to use as few details as possible to get the key points on board regarding the big picture because the storyboard is supposed to present clear and precise information of the user interface. In the procedure for storyboard design, there are three major activities that I plan to carry out including deciding what to incorporate, building the storyboard, and lastly feedback and iteration. In deciding what to do, I plan to interact with some users in the company to understand their needs, goals, and background. This analysis will also aid in understanding the system and the features. I will also get to brainstorm with the design team, identify people and artifacts in this storyboard and then develop the storyboard scenarios.

During the time for building the storyboard, I will put the gathered information concerning the storyboard features into practice and illustrate the user actions on the storyboard. During the last step in my procedure; feedback and iteration, I plan to gather feedback from the internal and external stakeholders and then iterate the storyboard design. Action The documenting of the iteration’s objectives was the first activity that was carried out before commencing the main activities of the session. I then began with the first step of my procedure that is, deciding what to include. To accomplish that, I had to interact with the users with the aim of understanding their backgrounds and goals, and to understand the system better in terms of the desired features.

I also brainstormed with the design team about the storyboard before developing the storyboard scenarios. In the second step, I broke the story into smaller sections known as frames; I identified the key frames from the scenarios as I focus on each frame’s individual features. In each frame, I had to draw the user, the product as well as other fundamental objects for each frame. I used tests for the users’ thoughts or reactions and made sure to use as minimum detail as possible in communicating the user interface features. I then wrote short descriptions for each frame to help in explaining what is happening in it.

During the last step of my procedure that involved feedback and iteration, I sought for feedback from the stakeholders of the system. I presented the developed prototype for the storyboard to the stakeholders, and they examined it as they gave their feedback on how their desired features have been incorporated. The user feedback is crucial because it helps the developer to incorporate the user requirements and thus develop an acceptable system from the user’s view (Truong, Hayes, & Abowd, 2006). The stakeholders that were incorporated into this step included the visual designers, the representative users, and the human factor practitioners among others. User testing was also conducted internally with the users with the aim of verifying how realistic the storyboard was and whether it was successful in communicating its function, message, or interaction.

Observation Storyboarding helps to communicate the user interface interactivity and functionality to the users. It strengthens the user experience components of the design, and the use of software to build prototypes for the sketches can be of paramount importance. I observed that a great challenge in developing storyboards is to understand the point from which to start the storyboard or the point to end it. If you start too early or too late, you may incorporate irrelevant information or functions that unnecessary (Okur, & Gümüş, 2010). I also observed that when the storyboard is created individually, it is impossible to develop one agreed-upon storyboard from the many opinions that were generated.

Storyboarding also requires some skills in drawing although you need not to draw something perfect, but a representation of the system’s functionality (Larkin, 1996). That is why the team members who have difficulty in drawing have reluctance in participating and contributing to the storyboarding activity. Another thing I observed from this iteration is that sometimes a storyboard may address crucial issues, interactions, and functions thereby creating holes in the story. The model-based design is widely used while developing the user interface. The user involvement is also important when storyboarding because their input can aid in building the interface from the perception of the users (Kaulio, 1998).

Therefore, it increases the user acceptability. A good storyboard allows the designers to get a feel on how the users’ experiences are flowing in the system. When I had ignored many features in the design, the end users and other stakeholders are the ones that helped to unravel those features, and through the same, more details were incorporated. The development of the storyboard was also an involving task as I had to spend more time than I had allocated due to the long process and the user involvement. Reflection This was the first iteration towards the development of the user interface.

I got to learn many things, both good and challenging as I was handling a practical task on this area for the first time. The lack of adequate knowledge and skills derailed the storyboard development process although carrying out research and also interacting with other experts helps to simplify some of the difficulty areas. Documenting the iteration’s objectives and then implanting a stepwise process helped me to address each system feature carefully and fully develop the storyboard based on the functional and nonfunctional requirements that had been gathered from the users. The users with whom I interacted were also very much willing to provide me with useful information that I then used to structure and sketch the system.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

The iterative process of developing a user interface through storyboarding is a crucial methodology in user-centered design, aiming to enhance user experience and system usability. This paper explores the detailed steps, challenges, and reflections involved in creating a comprehensive storyboard for a user interface, emphasizing stakeholder involvement, iterative feedback, and design refinement.

Initially, the importance of storyboarding in UI development is established, referencing Molina, Redondo, & Ortega (2009), highlighting how interactive web systems require carefully planned interfaces to foster effective human-computer interaction. A storyboard serves as a visual narrative that exemplifies how users interact with a system, with each frame depicting specific user actions and system responses (Gruen, 2000).

The process begins with identifying essential features and designing initial sketches with minimal details to capture the core functions and flows. Engaging users and design teams early in the process ensures that their needs, goals, and backgrounds inform the storyboard scenarios. During this phase, decisions on what to include are driven by stakeholder input, which helps in understanding the system's key elements and prioritizing features (Truong, Hayes, & Abowd, 2006).

As the storyboard takes shape, it is broken into smaller frames, each illustrating discrete interactions. Drawing the user interface components, people, and objects in each frame allows for visualization of the user journey, with concise descriptions explaining the functionality demonstrated. This step facilitates internal testing of the storyboard's clarity and effectiveness in communication (Larkin, 1996).

Feedback from stakeholders, including visual designers, user representatives, and human factors practitioners, forms the backbone of iterative refinement. The presentation explores how stakeholder feedback reveals overlooked features, improves design realism, and aligns the storyboard more closely with user expectations. Furthermore, internal testing ensures the storyboard's practical applicability in real use cases (Okur & Gümüş, 2010).

Several challenges are encountered during storyboarding, such as determining the appropriate starting and ending points, and managing diverse opinions from individual creators. Sketching skills influence participation, as some team members may feel reluctant if they lack artistic confidence. The risk of creating incomplete or hole-filled storyboards underscores the need for collaborative, model-based approaches that incorporate continuous user involvement (Kaulio, 1998).

Reflecting on this iteration emphasizes the importance of thorough preparation, resource utilization, and realistic timelines to enhance the process. Recognizing that insufficient time and limited resources hindered initial development, future iterations will allocate more time, incorporate diverse reference materials, and leverage software tools for enhanced visualization (Molina, Redondo, & Ortega, 2009). Overall, the process affirms the value of active stakeholder engagement, iterative refinement, and skill development in producing effective user interface storyboards.

References

  • Gruen, D. (2000). Storyboarding for design: An overview of the process. Lotus Research–accessed , 3 (11), 10.
  • Kaulio, M. A. (1998). Customer, consumer and user involvement in product development: A framework and a review of selected methods. Total Quality Management, 9(1), 27-50.
  • Larkin, G. (1996). Storyboarding: A concrete way to generate effective visuals. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 26(3), 251-268.
  • Molina, A. I., Redondo, M. à., & Ortega, M. (2009). A methodological approach for user interface development of collaborative applications: A case study. Science of Computer Programming, 74(9), 785-798.
  • Okur, M. R., & Gümüş, S. (2010). Storyboarding issues in online course production process. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 3764-3771.
  • Truong, K. N., Hayes, G. R., & Abowd, G. D. (2006). Storyboarding: An empirical determination of best practices and effective guidelines. Proceedings of the 6th conference on Designing Interactive Systems, 12-21.