Task overview

You will need to design an interface to a system. You will need to justify every item that you choose to put into this design. The concept it relates to must be clearly identified and explained. You may wish to draw reference from appropriate literature. Among the many concepts you may consider are:

  • colour and sections
  • layout of the screen
  • “help function” or assistance pages
  • order in which the information is presented
  • use of icons
  • use of input device (eg. keyboard or specific keys)
  • overall layout
  • standards employed

You may wish to refer to Shneidermann’s Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design (p.88-89) as a guide.

Case Scenario and Instructions

A quick service restaurant (more commonly known as fast-food restaurant) chain is automating the process of ordering food. The restaurant deals with both eat-in and take-away meals.

You have been commissioned to design an automated self-service application that will run on a kiosk type computer that is placed at the entrance of the restaurant.

You can make up a menu of your choice with a variety of drinks available. The customer is expected to make his/her choices of food and/or drink, pay with either cash, credit or debit card and then collect a receipt which he/she will present at the counter when the number is called out.

The system is linked directly to the kitchen. You do not have to worry about network considerations or the information provided to the kitchen. Your design is merely to provide the application screen design and layout function for the purchaser. You do not have to worry about the accounting system for the restaurant.

There will be no human assistance available at the kiosk when it is fully deployed.

Your task is to design an application to run on an automated self-service kiosk that allows patrons to order as quickly as possible. You may assume that the kiosk will consist primarily of a screen that users will interact with. The screen may or may not be a touch screen, depending on your design. Please bear in mind that this kiosk may also be installed in a drive-in section of the restaurant.

Some of the restaurants are located in a lot within a mall while some are located in a building of its own. You may assume that each restaurant has seats for 50 to 250 eat-in customers in various seating configurations. You may make any other assumptions not stated here but you must state them in Section B of your assignment.

You will need to provide drawings of the interface design for your chosen system. Drawings can be rough sketches, but must clearly show all components of your design. Do not use any existing quick-service restaurant name, trademarks or food pictures.

In addition to the drawings which provide one interface to the system you may recommend other input and output devices. For example will you use voice input/output, a touch screen etc.? Think carefully about the system, the tasks and what they do and how your customers might interact.

Who are the clients/users? What do you feel should be the usability goals? How can you develop an interface that meets these usability goals for these customers? Are there any constraints to the development of the interface?

The following aspects are out of scope for this assignment:

  • Network considerations
  • Electrical and technical specifications of the kiosk or mobile smart phones

Assignment requirements

Section A : Write an executive summary of your system in no more than 150 words on a separate page.

Section B: Describe your application and its operation. If you have made assumptions, indicate them here. Justify every item that you have introduced in your design in a logical and well-presented manner. An example is that you may put the drawing at the top of the page and state your explanation below. Justify any of the above concepts that you have introduced here as well. (Example: Typefaces used are Helvetica 16 points because…). You should also indicate what theories, principles and guidelines that you used in creating the concept of your application design.

This assignment must be produced in Microsoft Word format. Diagrams and drawings may be made in any format, but must be inserted into the appropriate page of the assignment document. Diagrams that are supplied as separate files will NOT be marked.

You must also include your references in APA 6th edition format on the last page.

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