Designing Usable and Interactive Online DVD Rental System - Coursework Example

Design a Usable and Interactive On-Line DVD Rental System Problem ment The problem in this case is to develop an interactive online DVD rental system Needs Analysis Whereas there are already online DVD rental systems on the web, fewer people use them because they are PC based. On the contrary, David Murphy states that many people use their smartphones and tablets to access online content; hence, the need to develop more e-commerce systems that use mobile devices. In addition, most smartphones run on Google’s android platform and yet most of the existing systems are windows based. There is, therefore, need for development of an android mobile application for DVD rental. This will easy for movie lovers to rent DVDs without having to do it manually or using their PCs. New Ideas in Brief The new system will have an optional function that will occasionally update the user on the latest arrivals at the movie store. This will be done either by sending automatic short messages using the Short Messages Service or through email. In addition, the system will give users additional payment options. Existing Systems There are DVD rental systems that exist in the market. Each of them has its strengths and weaknesses. Some of these are related to their user interfaces, the media of interaction between users and the core systems. One example of a system that already exists is Blockbuster.co.uk. A detailed analysis of user interfaces for Blockbuster.co.uk using Nielsen’s Heuristics yields the following results: Visibility The application does not have a mechanism for keeping users updated on the progress they make while using the system. The developer should consider introducing progress bars in subsequent versions of their software. Familiarity (similarity of system with real world occurrences) Blockbuster.co.uk did a good job to use icons and symbols that are easy to identify, learn, and remember. This makes it easier for users to master the system. User Control and Freedom Blockbuster.co.uk has different categories of users, mainly categorized into two; Movie Administrators and Members. Whereas movie administrators have the rights to setup different types of accounts, edit, and delete items, members can only search and view movies apart from adding, editing and deleting member’s details. This categorization of users makes user management easy; hence, making the system efficient. The users are free to edit their personal details as they wish; they can change their names, email, password, as well as manage their address books and browsing preferences. Users also have the freedom of deleting their profiles by unregistering their accounts on Blockbuster.co.uk. Consistency and Standards Source:: http:// http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/help/help.aspx The user interface is consistent across different windows; buttons and icons with similar appearances and labels perform similar functions throughout the system. For example, the “search” field and shopping basket are located in similar positions as other e-commerce sites such as Amazon.com. This makes it easy for users with experience in online shopping to manoeuvre through the online store. In addition, it helps them to recognize various functionalities of the online store easily, rather than have to recall every detail about it. Source:: http://www.amazon.com Error prevention, detection, and resolution Source: https://www.blockbuster.co.uk/account/lostinpost.aspx?tab=home?href=/account/account.aspx Blockbuster.co.uk has a good error prevention system; it prompts the user to confirm his or her input into the system before committing them. In this way, the user consciously authorizes every transaction made by the system. The interface also has an area where users can report DVDs that get lost in post in the process of delivery. This allows users to alert management in case there is any error or discrepancy with their services. This helps the company to correct any mistakes it makes as it delivers services to its clients. Help and documentation Source: http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/help/help.aspx The store has a detailed Help/FAQ section that handles most of the users’ queries. In addition, users can request for special assistance via email. The documentation section keeps updated information that describes the service. Aesthetic and minimalist design The wording used in Blockbuster.co.uk is such that only relevant information that is related to DVD renting is available. This makes the online store achieve its goals by eliminating non-essential content that may hinder the company from achieving its objectives. Users of the System Just like Blockbuster.co.uk, the interactive online DVD will have two major categories of users; administrators and members. The administrators will be responsible for managing the system. There will be the Super Administrator who will have all the rights in the system. The root admin will be responsible for the administration of the entire system. The super administrator will allocate the other administrators rights. They could include operations and finance managers. The members are the clients of the DVD shops. They will be able to add and remove members, queue DVDs, view their histories and orders. Hardware and Software Platforms The platforms used will depend on the type of user; administrators will use different platforms from the members. Administrators Hardware: The administrators will use PCs to carry out their managerial activities. This is because of the magnitude of the work the system will be required to undertake; updating movie entries, generating reports, and updating members. These activities require powerful machines that have the ability to process high volumes of data accurately and within the least time possible. Software: The administrators will operate the backend software to manage the system. The software will communicate with the mobile application on the member’s phones via a web interface connected to the database. The backend application will PHP and HTML based, employing the use of Structured Query Language, SQL, to communicate with the database. Members Hardware: Members will rely on hardware on their phones to access the service. Members with powerful devices will have better experiences using the service than users with less powerful phones. This will be determined by the size of the random access memory, physical memory, processor and bus speeds. Software: The members will rely on the Android operating system. The application for the members will be developed using the android platform and variations made to accommodate all classes of android appliances. The interfaces developed will depend on the capabilities of the hardware available in the mobile devices. Social and Cultural Context of Design The primary target of the application is the movie-watching category of society. This constitutes children above 5 years old and youth up to 35 years old. This class of citizens are also the most likely users of android powered smartphones in society. The aim of the design is to ensure that it caters for all members of society; nobody should feel left out when using the system. As such, the application will group DVDs into different categories, depending on the social and cultural needs of the users. The variety of content will cater for the different cultures that society exhibits. The design will put into place measures to ensure that users do not lose touch with their moral and social norms. This will be effected by putting restrictions and warnings on content that could be considered as offensive. Users will go through an age or consent approval system before they are allowed to access such content. Hierarchical Task Analysis 0: Renting a DVD online 1: Sign Up Enter first name Enter last name Enter password Confirm password Enter address Enter mobile phone number Enter e-mail address Enter username 2: Book/Queue Search for DVD title Enter DVD code Enter Username Enter password Save 3: Rent Enter DVD Code Select Rental Period Select Delivery Method Pay 4: Return Go to DVD store Enter DVD code Return Requirements for the Interactive Online DVD Rental System The system should meet the following requirements: 1. Allow users to sign up. This should capture user details such as name, telephone number, email address, username, password and address. 2. Members should be able to search for DVDs using parameters such as title, genre, and production date. 3. Users should be able to queue DVDs they want to rent 4. The system should allow users to select the mode of delivery they want to use 5. Users should be able to make payments online The interviews conducted during the task analysis were conducted on a one-on-one basis in the respondents’ homes. The respondents were made aware of the intentions of the interview beforehand. The interviews lasted half an hour on average and the respondents were particularly excited at the possibility of having an interactive online DVD rental application on their phones. Discussions and Conclusions Mobile devices are quickly replacing personal computers as the primary equipment for communication. Their accessibility, portability, and reliability make them the best tools for e-commerce, especially in the DVD rental business. It is, however, important to note that smartphones are less powerful than personal computers; hence, some trade-offs could have to be made to ensure that the applications developed meet the expectations of the users. Works Cited Murphy, David. Smartphones Key to UK eCommerce Growth, says Mubaloo. Mobile Marketing Magazine, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. Read More