Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Prototyping the GUI
When you begin prototyping the GUI portion of the project, draw out simple layouts of the
various command windows with pencil and paper. This activity will help you acquire a sense
of what the user needs to see before you decide how the interface will work internally. This is
often a crucial step in reconciling user expectations with the reality imposed by the system
implementation. Chapter 8 presents examples of GUI prototyping and the interface layout
process.
We recommend that you prototype the GUI using pencil and paper at this stage, rather
than directly on the computer. Coding directly on computer runs the following risks:
•
The design that you thought was so good, and that you spent so much time on, might
be rejected by your sample testers (see the sidebar, “Sample Testers”), resulting in
wasted time.
•
You will almost certainly require more time to prototype a GUI on the computer
compared with sketching the GUI layout on paper. We recommend you show your pro-
totype to some sample testers (see the sidebar), and if they have recommendations for
change (or, worst case, reject your prototype) there will be less time wasted if your pro-
totype is only a penciled sketch.
•
If you have a penciled sketch of your GUI, you can discuss it with your sample testers
anywhere, regardless of whether there is a computer handy. And any changes they
suggest can be incorporated in a few seconds.
•
If you have spent a large amount of time coding your prototype, there is a natural resist-
ance to changing it, which might result in you rejecting some otherwise excellent ideas
from your sample users.
•
You may get frustrated with implementation details long before a prototype is in place,
and as a result you may sacrifice a good design for something that is easier to develop,
and, accordingly a lower score for your GUI.
•
If you code the GUI now, you may end up with something that you believe is very nice,
but which you later find your users don't like. Once again, you run the risk of having to
start from scratch.
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Note
In Chapter 8 we will be developing the GUIs for our sample project, and as part of this we will be
showing some rough sketches of alternate screen layouts we might use for our project.
