System Requirement Specification And Analysis

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Abstract

This report contains the development of an interactive shopping mall navigation system on a web enabled computer. This helps customer find their way around the shopping mall more easily and improve the knowledge of where things are located around shopping mall. This system includes a GUI, a database to keep track of information about stores and restaurants, and a section to implement the different functions of the system.

Acknowledgement

I would like to sincerely thank the authenticator who guided us through my Project and who made my experience a memorable one. I would like to thank my project authenticator for providing me with the necessary information and resources to complete my project.

1 Introduction

At first, shopping movement took place in open public spaces, town halls or market hall. Eventually small shops were created, then departmental stores. Today, shopping activity takes place in a shopping mall where all the different categories of stores are located. People shop, entertain, eat and drink, go to leisure, get married or have a university course inside one building. A shopping mall is a big place and it is obvious to get confused or lost with the direction even with the nearest escalator or toilets. It has got map so that people can find where the shops are located and way to get there. So, many of the customers uses maps to find the way around inside a shopping mall.

These days technology has simplified this method with the navigation system. With the help of technologies like GPS, wi fi and online mapping navigation software is used to give the direction around the shopping mall. Shopping mall uses navigation system to help customers find the desired location and give information about different stores and facilities which is very reliable data processing, real time and fast. Whereas some still uses the traditional method paper maps and wall maps which creates lots of usability issues.

Like many of the shopping mall the wall mounted maps and manual maps is used by all the customer or anyone unfamiliar with the shopping mall at Skyline Shopping Centre Croydon .But online mapping system have replaced paper maps and atlases in this modern age of technology. Contrasting these advances in automobile navigation, wall mounted maps and signs continue to be the primary reference for indoor navigation in shopping malls.

The navigation software which is developed for Skyline Shopping Centre provides maps and direction with information to help users to find their desire destination based on location where this application would be run inside the shopping mall which is located near main entrance with interactive design. In this project the development, implementation, and testing of a web-based simple interactive navigation system is described.

Objectives

Main objectives were identified that summarize the challenges faced in this project

Overall Interactive navigation system to keep up to date with the different stores, facilities, restaurants, leisure by discovering Skyline Shopping Centre. Route finder to guide around the centre. Finds customers favourite restaurants or they can try something new by browsing the food and drinks directory. Check the live Tfl updates that will helps users to plan the ultimate shopping experience.

A database to keep track of information about stores and restaurants, and modules to implement the various functions of the system. For example, this would include a search function to allow users to find services and utilities on shopping mall based on the information in the database and a function to determine the various facilities in the shopping centre.

An interactive user interface must provide the user with access to these features.

Background

In order to properly plan, design and implement a solution, it is necessary to fully understand the previous system. Here, each of the problem will be discussed existing work which is closely related will be reviewed, and techniques which are applicable to the project will be identified and evaluated.

Related work

Navigation System is the electronic map with route instruction, which is displayed on a dashboard video screen. There have been numerous navigation system being developed from past . Inertial navigation system for aircrafts, submarines, spacecraft and guided missiles were used for different moving objects that uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to carry on calculation with the help of dead reckoning the position, velocity and orientation.  Automotive (GPS) navigation system for automobiles vehicles which obtain position data to

place the users on a way in the map based on database. Tactical air navigation system for military aircraft which accommodate craft bearing and distance to a ground or ship-borne station.

Nowadays Google maps navigation is used by almost everyone which comes with the features in mobile application developed by Google that uses internet connection or GPS navigation system gives instruction to user to reach its destination.

Indoor positioning system is the device used to wirelessly place objects or people inside a building due to poor satellite signal inside the building this system is being used.

Building navigation system is used by airports, universities, plazas or shopping mall to allow users find the way and facitilies inside the building. Shopping mall now have started to use navigation system which will be placed inside the shopping centre in a web enabled computer that helps customers to find their destination. Some of the shopping mall has got its mobile application that users uses with the help of GPS to find the way around. But some shopping mall still uses paper maps or wall maps to navigate customers around.

Previous system

Skyline Shopping Centre previously had a manual maps, manual store guide and wall mounted maps which created a usability issues . It made users in the shopping mall hard to find the shops and users were unknown with some facilities in the mall. It was difficult for customers to find the things around in the mall using the paper maps and was time consuming.

Few Interviews and questioners were carried out to the customers about the previous manual maps and system

yu

How frequently do you use map?

-Regularly

-Quiet often

-Sometimes

-Never

How do you find using the paper maps?

- Frustration

-Difficult, Hard

- Time Consuming

-Hard to find things or facilities

Can you to get to your desired destination using this map?

-Takes time to find required destination

-Sometimes can't even find

-Consumes time

Firstly, Usability problem was raised after the research on previous system and some other problems was issued.

What is usability?

When a human interact with the different aspect of the system, then usability is whether the system is learnable, memorable, effective, error free and gives subjective satisfaction.

According to Shackel (1991) the main elaborator of this approach defines usability ‘The capability in human functional terms to be used easily and effectively by the specified range of users, given specified training and user support, to fulfil the specified range of tasks within the specified range of environmental scenarios’.

Advantages of having a good usability

Usability is advantageous to all, users take advantages from a system that reduces the learning difficulty and they can access more functionality with little effort. Bad usability means users would not use the product effectively and might start ignoring it if it is difficult or gives frustration.

Advantages from users covers increasing productivity, as a system is efficient saves time, fast and easy to learn so this save time and money in teaching and this increases users satisfaction and software is likely to be used whereas difficult software is avoided by the users.

Skyline shopping centre will also benefits' by; attracting more customers, improving the reputation of the shopping mall, decreasing support costs, decreasing training costs and gives a competitive advantage among other shopping mall.

Problems

Interactive

Interactive system posses of usability attributes learn ability, memo ability, effectiveness, error free and subjective satisfaction.

The system before was only a paper map . There wasn't any details about each stores and restaurant. As user can just see the name only it was difficult for user to find the stores, facilities, restaurants and they have to spend more time finding the shops .

Using this navigation system web map, pop-up info boxes are used to show details about every stores in the shopping centre, with images attached to improve user navigation which is interactive.

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to which a software is available to as many people as possible or direct access.

Before paper maps are printed for distribution which is a total waste of time and money. This new system helps user to get the map by accessing the web through internet or using this system in an shopping mall's computer which is more cost efficient.

Updating

Updating is the process of bringing system up to date.

Previously when the stores in a shopping mall changes then it was difficult and time consuming to insert changes. Now, the map in the new system can be updated easily.

User Friendly

User friendly means user can learn and easily use the system in their own way. Users used to get frustrated before as they couldn't find and get information about the store but using this new system user can easily find and get information with the help of the system which is user friendly.

Literature review

Software Methodology

For the development of the software product a structure is imposed which is known as software development methodology. This contains procedures, techniques, tools and documentation supports which will help system developers in the implementation of new system to be developed.

Choice of process models

One-go

Overall system is implemented in once

-Waterfall

-V-Model

Incremental

System is implemented in stages

Every step convey a division of functionality

Functions in the division are fully applied.

-Spiral

-Stage Delivery

-RUP(Rational unified process)

-RAD

Evolutionary

Implemented by a number of account

Each account is evaluated by users

As suggested improvement is done

-Prototyping

-SCRUM

-DSDM

-RAD

Agile

Many transitional prototype

User Interaction is frequent

There is no upfront specifications

Mainly focusing on coding

Small projects

-Programming

Development methodologies

RAD model (Rapid Application Development) was selected for the development of this project. As this project involves iterative development and the construction of prototype where prototyping techniques is used to speedup software development process.

Rapid application development was first documented by James Martin in 1991. According to him" Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a expansion life cycle proposed to give much quicker development and higher-quality results than those accomplish with the traditional life cycle. It is designed to take the maximum advantage of powerful development software that has evolved recently"

Requirements are gathered using focus group and workshop

Prototyping and early, reiterative user testing of designs

Software components are reused.

A tight paced timetable that reschedule design progress to the next product version

Not as much as formality in reviews.

Figure: RAD Model

Advantages of RAD model

Improved Quality

RAD improves the software quality by assembling the needs of the customers, and by providing a substantial decrease in the fault using the computerization tools and prototyping. Errors are detected in the beginning of development, by stopping any extra effort or cost.

Faster Release Time

RAD is a fast development lifecycle , and it enhanced revolving time of the software . This is acquired by rapid prototyping, and by using computerized tools like Computer Aided Software Engineering or CASE tools, that allows the developers to re-use previously produced codes which saves time and manual coding.

Lower Cost

RAD uses existing components which can be reused, most importantly decreasing the financial price. Computerization grades into a decreasing number of assets being needed for the system to be developed

Less Maintenance

It is time-consuming to upadate traditional development software but RAD helps to assemble in a better maintenance and improvement of system.

Users Satisfaction

As users are involve in all stages of analysis and development process of system. It is help when users are not sure of requirements , or requirements not fixed. A functional prototypes is used to the end users, and combines users reaction at every phase of development.

Time boxing

Time boxing process is used by RAD, which controls the feature to be released in the current system, and a software to be developed in future.

Improved Project Management

There is active involvement of the management, the development teams, as well as the business owners and end users. There is a better relationship between all stakeholders, and a better understanding of the users equirements . Enhanced visibility and support from the management is acquired by the project.

Reduced Risk

RAD is a repeated approach and prototyping, and end user comments which occurs at every stage of software development. Therefore, the developed software has less changes and update which reduce the danger involved in the project. There is less testing effort implicated.

Disadvantages of RAD model

Cost will be unknown as it is improved by the user agreeing to a limited amount of rework in the RAD process.

Sometimes it is difficult for users to give the time required for the RAD process.

Reason for Selecting this model for Interactive navigation system

It is flexible and adjustable to changes.

Prototyping used to gives users a physical knowledge about the requirements of the system.

Detail output are evaluated with previous details.

Data entry forms are re-evaluated for entire fields, navigation, data access (drop down lists, checkboxes, radio buttons, etc.).

It has got short development cycle

It involves users involvement which increase the chance of early user approval.

It reduce overall project risk.

Reduced the expenses to generate a custom system.

Choice of tools(programming language/software)used

Choice of tools includes all the tools that are used in software development process. The system is created using various tools HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and MYSQL . Description of each is given below.

HTML

Hyper Text Markup Language is a markup language which describe content of document. It details all of the presentation details of text, such as font size, style and color. HTML was designed to specify document structure at higher level.

CSS

Cascading Styling Sheets gives style to the HTML document. There are three ways to insert styling sheets. CSS helps to change the appearance and layout of the pages by editing a single file.

External style sheets: When same style is applied to too many pages external style sheets can be used. This helps to change the whole website by changing style in one particular external page.

Internal style sheets :When a single file has different style compare to others Internal style sheets is used.

Inline style sheets: This style is used to change style within a line.

JAVASCRIPT

JavaScript is the scripting language for HTML documents. It is divided into three parts the core, client side and server side. The core is the main of the language, including its operators, expression, statements, and subprogram. Client side is a collection of objects that support control of a browser and interaction with users. Server side is collection of objects that make the language useful on a web server.

JQUERY

J Query is used to make easier to use JavaScript.

SQL

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It execute query against the database, retrive data from database, insert, update, delete and create database.

To use SQL in this project following points are to be considered.

An RDBMS database program SQL Server and MySQL)

A server-side scripting language i.e. PHP or ASP

SQL

HTML / CSS

Photoshop- Photoshop is a useful tool for graphic designers to create images easily and effectively. For example, design works can be done using Photoshop in order to imagine their take on an initial concept and then move into different media to complete the concept. .All the maps and pages are designed in Photoshop.

Dreamweaver-Dreamweaver is the web development application developed by adobe system. Dreamweaver is used for easy code and debugs the errors as notepad does not debugs the errors itself.

2 . System Requirement Specification and Analysis

Introduction

In this chapter software requirements specification and analysis it explains the requirements for best-quality specification and the most significance part played by requirement specifications throughout the software system development process and review all the different levels of specifications.

During this phase the stakeholders will be involved to gather the requirements about the system. Client is going to be first stakeholders who identify the need for a new system. Client refers to the company this software is build so skyline shopping centre is going to be the Client. A discussion will be made about financial decisions, presenting the system development team with system requirements, signature of all related contracts and checks, discussion about approval of any changes and all the functional requirement of the system.

User is going to be second stakeholders who operates and use the software developed and they are the one leading to development of new system. Customers, visitors and staff are the user of this new software for shopping mall. This requirements can be gather by questioners and interviews with the user. User will give their opinion and views towards required new system. The system won’t be successful if the users do not use it at its plan level or performance.

System Developer is going to be next stakeholder who is going to make the initial contact with the client and develop the new desired system for the company. The job of system developer is to analyse the problem, gather all the requirement , design specifications, implement and test the system and monitor the software system performance.

Staff is going to be next stakeholder as they are the people assigned by the company to do important tasks like data entry, program entry, document entry, word processing etc.

2.1 General Description

2.2 Specific Description

2.1 General Description

a. System Perspective:

This system will operate inside the shopping mall where users/customers will use this system in a computer inside a mall in order to perform their tasks. As this system will be running inside the mall so there are software and hardware requirements.

Firstly computer, CPU , Keyboard and Mouse is needed where the navigation system can be run so to run this system local host is to be installed and the system will run successfully in Windows7 operating system . This can be embedded later into application and can be use as touch screen application in the monitor.

b. System Functions

A search function to allow users to find services and utilities on shopping mall based on information on database.

Enables customers to find the store and information about the store.

Enables disable customers to find accessible toilets and lifts.

Enables to find car parking and bus stops.

Keep track of information about stores and restaurants.

Provides a highly user interface

Effectiveness

Learnability

Efficiency

Memorability

Utility

Safety.

c. Users Characteristics

User will be customers, staffs and visitors or anybody unfamiliar with the shopping mall. This system is designed for all age, sex , nationalities users which provides a human computer Interaction.

d. General Constraints

limitation-animation for locating actual path, parking availability

e. Assumptions

compatible for Google chrome, firefox, Mozilla as their may be some changes in the software if it runs in internet explorer

2.2 Specific Requirements

a. Functional Requirements

Interactive Navigation system consist of the Search Engine Optimization which performs the following functions.

Search Engine Optimization

This function optimize whole sites in order to make them more search engine friendly which helps to obtain higher positions in search results. This function access database and present information according to users search .

Give Direction

When a user search for a store than the all the required information about the shops and facilities is known and the software gives direction about getting to their destination

Gives real time transport information.

User/Customers can look for real time transport information about buses, trains and taxis.

Information about stores and facilities

Different information about stores and facilities are given in the system. This gives the information about opening and closing times and the categories of the shops and their general description.

User Interfaces Requirements

User interface should be easy to learn. When a user comes back to use a system they should be able to use the system without having to learn again. The requirements of user interfaces are:

Consistency

All the pages of the system should be consistent. This contains pages logos, buttons and graphics. This helps the user to find categories more easily and quickly.

Feedback

This helps user not to get lost in the system.

Level of importance

A level of importance should be created for every category. The upper the level of importance should be placed in noticeable pages.

Graphics

Graphics should improve content to give better understanding.

Use colour

Colours clashing should be avoided.

Provide alternatives

Different alternate option should be given to user to use the system

Font and size of text

Suitable font and size of text should be used.

2. Feasibility Study

2.1 Introduction

Feasibility study is important to provide guidelines for building a software development plan. It requires input from the project plan and the planning process requires good coordination skills. Feasibility of the system can be divided into finance, function, operation etc. Also it can be categorised into different aspect of the system such as operational, economic and technical. It is important to know the requirement of the system and analysis it before taking further steps for the development of the project. In this project it is important to know how feasible the requirement of the system is before passing on to stakeholders.

2.2 Work Breakdown structure

The main aim of WBS is to bring the financial cost account description level to a point where performance, cost and schedule problems will be understood before, and at the same time cut back the price account reporting and sustention to as low as possible.

All work steps that are related with project should gather all the financial link with that output. This will help to find project costs and to design work packages for appliance. Covered by this conditions, the price account, task sketch and task schedule will be known. Next control and visibility point essential to the WSB price accounts and task sketch is the way of managing to keep the task turn on or off.

Hence, WSB helps in this project 'Interactive Navigation System' immeasurably in determining the actual software development costs and failure to determine all costs often led to inaccurate estimation.

Figure: Software work breakdown structure

Interactive Navigation System

Maintenance

Coding

Engineering

Data management

Development environment

Management

Testing

-Unit

-Strings

-System

Support

-Drivers

-Requirement

Analysis

-Planning

-Design

-Test cases

-Reviews

-Technical

Support

-Configuration

management

-Planning

-Tools

-Facilities

-Hardware

-Drivers

-Database

-Documentation

2.3 Technical management and control

It is necessary to handle four functions of technical management of software development for the success of this project. These four function are change management, risk containment, issue resolution and cost and schedule control each was considered during technical management and control of the project.

a. Change management

Changes to Software development process, requirements, specifications, designs, test plans, schedules, and resources are irresistible in any software development conditions. When a project has a standard ways for identifying a substitution and settle the collision of the substitution on cost and schedule determines as well as on other development structure, and there will be a timely and systematic way of change .It is necessary to understand why change is required and function of software is to be changed, the effect is of not implementing the change. The cost, schedule and performance is to be studied.

b. Risk containment

This section of the SDP reports the quality, the satisfactory level for the quality, a plan for evaluating the quality, and a way for accounting the values. This section describes the operation that will be taken if any of the quality should get out of the satisfactory range. Risk analysis identify courses that designate that a feasible problem was becoming a genuine problem and it is time to make the likely planned as part of the risk assessment and containment planning.

c. Issue Resolution

At the period of software development process there will be many questions, problems and issues will come. It must be address in time and must be made assured that development process will not be slow due to this reasons. In this section the layout for recognising the issues, allocating resources to the address and regular determining the issue will appear in this section.

d. Cost and Schedule Control

In this section it details actual cost and movements against plan will be studied and record the number of cost and schedule estimation.

2.4 Standards and procedures

a. Development methodologies

RAD model (Rapid Application Development) was selected for the development of this project. As this project involves iterative development and the construction of prototype where prototyping techniques is used to speedup software development process.

2.5 Reviews, audits and walk-through

Reviews is a general term which includes inspection, audit, peer review and walk-through. In a software development there are number of formal and informal reviews. There are three formal reviews software requirement review (SRR) , preliminary design review (PDR), and the critical design review (CDR). SRR reviews the allocation of function to the software subsystem. The PDR reviews the software function and performance specifications and a preliminary software design. CDR reviews the software design before release for code. Software Development Lifecycle must include the substance of these three reviews. Audits and walk-through are used to an effective development process.

The requirements of reviews is done to identify each review, every scheduled audit, every scheduled walkthrough and find the number of expected unplanned or unscheduled reviews, walkthrough and audits. This is done as there is a considerable application related with each event, and many of these events are either major project milestone or linked up with major project milestone.

Secondly review events is to define entry and exit criteria. We can take an example, before reviewing a software module design, all documents should be complete, all inputs and outputs defined and entered into the data dictionary, all global variables identified, a requirement to implement completed and pseudo code completed. The entry and exit requirements should be set up, at least in common designation as a part of planning.

2.6 Development environment

This section include the development environment configuration and its specifications. Development environment also include security, access details, computers, and responsibility for collecting and maintaining performance measurements. It should contain a detailed configuration of the development of each phases. It should also show schedules for development of hardware, software and identify the specifies, procurers, testers and maintainers. The development environments includes CASE tools and other software to support debugging, configuration control and financial tracking.

Fig: Software Development Schedule

Start date: 1st week of September 2012

Expected Finish Date: End of February 2013

Milestone

September

2012

October

2012

November

2012

December 2012

January

2013

February

2013

Week No.

Week No.

Week No.

Week No.

Week No.

Week No.

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

Preliminary Study

Requirement Analysis

Design

Coding

Testing

Maintenance

Documentation

2.7 Technical Performance measurement

In this project technical performance measurement was done in which software features size, schedule, costs, resources, development environment, labor, quality, performance, complexity and reliability is often supervised in regular basis which allows the development process to identify problems as early as posssible so that right action can be taken. For example, software product memory and CPU requirements may vary but getting a bigger computer may not be an option, rather monitoring the software size may be important as development resources are constrained or schedule is critical.

2.8 Human factors

Human factor is the interaction between man and machine and the qualitative performance of human in both dynamic and static situations. During the feasibility study , the role of the human factors should be defined properly. The human factors study can give information as to what can be expected of a function in term of response time,total information that can be taken during the time period, length of the time required to process information and produce a result, the physical factors for functions, measures of screen design etc.

4. Design

4.1Introduction

Design is the first step for the development of software, which describe the layout and structure of the system. Its goal is to develop a model of the software basically on heuristics, formal synthesis and realization techniques, followed by the fundamental design principal. In a software design, goals, objectives and constraints are extracted from software requirements specification through analysis. Therefore the system will be developed according to the specification on design phase.

PACT ANALYSIS

Using the PACT analysis this software navigation system is to be developed and designed, different aspect of system is to be considered.

People (who will use?)

The main users for this system will be customers and visitors in the shopping mall.

The users will be of different age, nationality and gender.

Some of the user might not have any computer knowledge , some with basic and some with good knowledge so, the system to be developed should be suitable for all kinds of users.

Activities ( What propose will it be used?)

Customers who are visiting the mall will be using this system. Different types of customers will be using this system to find the way around the shopping mall so the system should be easy to use and understand.

User might want to know more information about the individual shops as there might not be any persons for their queries.

The system save the individual customers time by helping them to search the things they require in a shopping mall.

Contexts (Context of interaction)

The system will be accessible inside the shopping mall's computer which will be placed in main entrance.

The objective of this system is to navigate people to find the facilities and stores around the shopping mall

Design of the system should be user friendly and Interactive.

Technology

Users can access the system using the computer in the shopping mall placed on main entrance.

Shopping mall will need to get computers and hard drive and a platform to run this software

Information for the design of this system was gathered using PACT analysis.

4.2Use Case Diagrams

The use case diagram describes the purposed functionality of the new system. It describes the interaction between the user and the newly developed system. Use Case is a single unit of meaningful work; for example search shops and facilities from system, give information and find way are all Use Cases. Each Use Case has a description which describes the functionality that will be built in the proposed system. A Use Case may 'include' another Use Case's functionality or 'extend' another Use Case with its own behaviour.

Use case are related to actor. An actor is the user(Human) that interact with the system to perform the function.

Actor

User is the Actor in the system, which could be human or computer system. An actor uses the use case to perform certain work. Actor access the set of use case to define their role in the system and the field of their action.

In this project customers or visitors and developer are the actor.

Requirements:

When the user enter the name of the shop then system gives the direction to the store from where the user is using the software, and information about the store.

User can enter the things they are looking for like clothing, grocery and the list of store which does clothing will come up and user can look up the stores they required.

Facilities like toilets, lifts, parking can also be looked up in the system.

Sequence Diagram

Sequence diagram is the graphical drawing of object interaction over certain time. It shows the user and object or component that they interact with the executions of a use case. Sequence diagram helps to find reqired object in early analysis and verify object uses later in the system. It shows the flow of message from one object to another supported by class object.

Customer Search Screen Database Finds

Search Process Search in Database

Required Info

Validate

4.3Algorithm and Flowchart

Algorithm is the set of instruction for carring out some performance step by step in a system. It consist of operation like Boolean algebra, storing data and input from user that allows user to write program in plain form. In the problem solving phase of computer programming, algorithm will be designed. Likewise the algorithm was designed for this project by breaking up the problem solution into parts so that stakeholders can

understand and execute.

Algorithm of the system outline the way in which user can make a query and search the stores is given bellow.

User enters the user interface of the system.

Users enquires about the shops or facilities by entering data about particular shops/facilities and categories.

If found then GO TO 5 else GO BACK to 4.

Search for alternative by entering data about different store and go to 3.

If the search item is found returns true AND GO TO 4 else enter different details.

If everything alright then click on the link which will take to the required shop and gives you direction.

Flowchart is the graphical/diagramitical representation of algorithm showing the flow of data through processing system. Flow chart can be used for representing an algorithm. A

flowchart, will describe the operations (and in what sequence) are required to solve a

given problem.

Flowchart makes easy to write the computer program, and can be used  used for preparing a better documentation of a complex problem. Flowchart of this project is given below:

Flowchart:

Enter

Search for alternative

Enter Data to find shops & facilities

Searching if available

Found?

No

Yes

Store/Facilities details page and map with direction

END

4.4User Interface Design

The main objective of user interface design is concentrating on contents and structure for the system. Usability issues will be discussed in this phase, as this stage consist of content and the organisational structure of the system.

When the content figure has been sketched out, a paper prototype was drawn. This is drawn to test the system navigation and design user interface

Mini story boards wear drawn displaying possible layout of the interface.

While designing in primary stage of the system, usability issues that was taken under account are as follows:

Simple learning – How fast customers/user can learn the system and complete simple tasks.

Simple to use – How rapid tasks can be completed.

Memorable– The user who returns to use the system can complete the tasks easily without learning again.

Error Frequency – Frequency of errors made by a customers.

Satisfaction – Users happy with the system.

The navigation structures for the system were designed according to usability issues discussed above. A top-down approach navigational structureis to be designed. With this method, customers/users can navigate through the system. When users are lost then they can always go back to the home page and start again.

The figure below shows the navigation structure of the system.

Welcome Page

Home Page

Services

Transport

Search

Food Drinks

Shops

Leisure

Facilities

Opening Hours

Bakery

British

Coffee

Fast Food

Restaurants

Accessible toilet

Cash Machine

Escalator

Lifts

Phone Charge

Toilets

Stationery

Accessories

Grocery

Electrical

Clothing's

Departmental

Health Beauty

Stationery

Parking

Considering the above points , a navigation was developed, the goal is to produce all the functional attributes ready for the development of the system. At the end of this step it should include the following:

Text -modified and proof reading will be done

Graphics – Images, figures, buttons etc.

Completed examples of pages

User Interface design

Essential and logic components

Approachable

The paper prototypes which is sketching or designing roughly in a paper, storyboards supports to visually layout where components of the system should be placed. The storyboards also helped in planning what components would need to be developed for the interface of the system.

Storyboards are used in films or animation which gives script of significance stages.

The selected tool to create the interface was Macromedia Dreamweaver. Images and pictures were created using Photo shopped and the prototype animation was made using Flash.

Before designing the interface, several design consideration pointers were applied in designing the page layouts. The main pointers are as follows:

Consistency

All the pages of the system should be consistent. This contains pages logos, buttons and graphics. This helps the user to find categories more easily and quickly.

Feedback

This helps user not to get lost in the system.

Level of importance

A level of importance should be created for every category. The upper the level of importance should appear at most noticeable places with in the pages.

Use graphics

Graphics should improve content to give better understanding.

Use colour

Colours clashing should be avoided.

Provide alternatives

Different alternate option should be given to user to use the system

Font and size of text

Suitable font and size of text should be used.

Storyboard of the index page

Storyboard for designing GUI

Header

menu1

menu2

menu3

menu4

menu5

menu6

menu7

menu 8

footer

Background colour light blue

Text colour black.

Font: Arial

Link to index2.html

Disclaimer text, font Arial, size: 10px, colour: black

Development

We have come to know and understand what the software must do with reference to requirement specification and introduced the software in terms of design, now the software designed must be implemented and developed in a selected language (code), tested widely, revised as needed and finally maintained during the operational lifecycle.

In this section description of converting a software design specification into a fully tested software product, describing the tools and techniques used during the development and implementation.

When the navigation system is developed all the files and authorities related to the project wil be submitted to the shopping mall. Hence, Shopping mall will have all the source code and database.

The system will have database on its own server which wil take data from the user through the application in shopping centre. The software was developed with various open source platforms WAMP server was used to handle MYSQL, PHP request and maintaining database for the company . PHP, HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT and MYSQL were used for server side scripting. The system requires the interaction from user. So, except static content of pages which won't change, dynamic content are also used. HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT and PHP works as a scripting language and will be developed according to SQL Database model. Database is updated with the latest information about the stores and facilities. When the information about the store is changed or the location of the store inside the shopping mall is changed. The new entry will be made in the database, making sure updates of the stores are done. All the HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript were saved in a single folder and they are connected to one another. PHP contents were displayed by WAMP server to connect the MYSQL query.

Database System

The system will consist of database from where user will retrieve the data from database about different store and facilities and their destination information. Database is used to store the information about the stores and facilities.

The code for creating the database and its table written below in php :

mysql_connect("localhost", "", "");

mysql_select_db(search_skyline);

Different pages of the system.

Development of the system

The functionality of database and MYSQL query is executed within the same computer system as WAMP server was installed on the system. The system developed to sufficient level and quality making sure that all the functionality of the system is functioning properly.

After the competition of each new phase until the system is fully working, clients were asked to try out the new system to make sure that the system was working according to the requirement of customers

Testing

Software has to be tested both during its development phase and integration stage. In the development stage every function or process that is a part of a model is seperately developed and throughout tested until the entire module is ended. Before implementing the system the system must be error free and there is no problem with the performance of the system by testing it several times. Users and public were involved during testing to see if the system works well. It is used to test the functionality of the system, test if system contains any bugs or errors and some are tested if system is being developed according to users requirements.

This project was tested in two phases

Static Testing

Static test tools and process focus on requirements specification, design specification and architectural aspects of the software module or components.

Function performed in the statics are code auditing, consistency checking, cross referencing, interface analysis, input/output specification analysis, data flow analysis, error checking, type analysis, inspections, walk-throughs and correctness verification.

Dynamic testing

Dynamic testing describes the development of test cases and test procedures, the execution of test cases, and the structure and use of test logos and anomaly or incident reports.

There are two ways of Dynamic Testing Black box testing and White box testing

Black box testing

accuracy test . It also concentrate on output generated. It is use to perform and evaluate the execution of a system This type of testing ignores internal mechanism of the system only performs output or module with specified functional requirements. It finds bugs only according to software failure as they are exposed in its wrong outputs.

Black Box

input

output

Steps in black box testing

Firstly it examines original requirements and specifications of the system.

Tester chooses valid inputs to check whether SUT processes them correctly . Also some invalid inputs are chosen to verify that the SUT is able to detect them.

Tester Finds normal outputs for all those inputs.

Tester Creates test cases with the selected inputs.

The test cases are carried out.

Software tester compares the actual outputs with the unusual outputs.

Defects if any are fixed and re-test

There are various ways of testing PHP system Eclipse PDT was used for debugging and checking the errors. It helped to identify essential PHP Editing with syntax emphasize and coloring

PHP code  completion, code templates, auto-formatting , JavaScript Editing with syntax importance and colouring, HTML Editing with syntax importance and colouring and Local and Remote Debugging support.

Action

Expected result

Actual result

Comments

Search for shops

Under categories like

Clothing,

accessories, grocery etc

List of all the clothing or accessories or grocery stores shown as searched by categories.

All the list of stores under clothing or accessories or grocery were shown.

Successful

Search for a particular store eg: addidas

addidas was shown

by search function

The required store was found.

Successful

Drop down menu

To test drop down menu working correctly

It was working properly.

Working properly in Google chrome but sometimes not compatible in internet explorer.

System Navigation

This test that all the pages links to the right pages

Preview in google chrome and all pages are linked correctly.

OK

Correct

Cascading Style Sheets Working

This tests the CSS file is correctly linked to the web pages.

Preview in google chrome and its linked

Correctly.

OK

Correct

Menu Navigation

Testing all links is working properly.

OK

4.2 - Usability Testing

Usability testing centre on whether a specific technology is simple for the user to use. Usability testing is done at the end of the development of the project. Usability testing is done in different ways, the most general used method usability testing is asking user to perform the certain task on prototype developed. Questioners, feedbacks and interviews are done to check the usability. Different users (i.e. age, gender) were given to use the system

How many users to test?

Now once the system is developed and testing has been done on it, certify that the system is bug free. It then has to be implemented on to the environment where it will be functioning. Implementation of the system involve identifying the set of measures that is needed to make it operational and also to choose the best method of all which is feasible according to the nature of the business. Achievement of different hardware and software system including the essentials office items have to be discussed now

Implementation

When the system is developed and testing has been done on it, making sure that the system is free of error. It is then implemented on to the environment where the system will be operated. Implementation of the system includes the set of measures which is needed to make it functional and also choose the most suitable approach of which is feasible according to users requirements and business view. Achievement of different hardware and software system including the essentials management documentation or official work is discussed now.

Different types of implementation that can be used during this phase are:-

Pilot running:- It runs only a part of the built-in system on the earlier system as a pilot.

Parallel running:-It runs both the old and new system in parallel which can be expensive.

Direct changeover:- This is to direct changing over to the new system totally, aspects of the old system will not be involved. Skyline Shopping centre will be using a system that had never been used before so direct changeover approach will be implemented.

After deciding which method of implementation will be used it should be implemented.

For the implementation of the system products were identified and purchased were made according to the requirement.

The software developed for shopping mall will be placed in the main entrance of the shopping mall merged with the required application and will be operated by customers from where the system is place. All the essential computer hardware parts and software were purchased from a well know merchant consist of a warranty of limited time. Local area network was setup, a local server was purchased for now and can be replaced later.

Then staffs of shopping mall were introduced with the health and safety regulation and were recognized with the code of conduct in the environment where they will be working. Before the system was made functioning, different users were given chance to try out the system and to understand the working of it.

Evaluation

Heuristic evaluation

The first method considered will be Heuristic evaluation. In this evaluation the system is evaluated by appearance of the interface whether its good or bad interface, individual usability analysis and is conducted from the

viewpoint of future end users. According to Nielsen and

Molich 1990 description as a ‘regular examination of a user interface design for usability’.

The aim of Heuristic evaluation in this project is to find usability issues of interactive navigation system. The reason for this evaluation is to divide

possible usability matter and through these find the areas or kind of the user interface which might need changes and improvements.

Participants: A set of evaluators observe the interface and evaluate its fulfilment with known usability principles. Evaluators is dependent on the time for testing, the size, capacity , character of the system, its users, the tasks and financial limitation.

Limitations: The outcome of the heuristic evaluation can be affected such as the

information and understanding of the user’s tasks, performance of task environment and

the common situation in which users carry out tasks. Another limitation of heuristic evaluations is that users may have their own test then actual usability defects.

Method: Heuristic evaluation is carried out by individual evaluator who inspect the

interface alone General advice would be for the users should go through the

interface minimum twice. The first time would be just to get a feel for the flow of the

interaction and the universal capacity of the system. The second time allows the evaluator to

focus on specific interface matter while knowing how they fit the larger whole. The outcome

from using the heuristic evaluation is the usability issues.

Advantages

It Allow complete usability insight first in the process

Tasks can be set up fast

It Allows evaluation of competing solutions before coding commences

Disadvantages

Data analysis and understanding is difficult

It does not match current software engineering training.

Pay attention to detail when designers might want only the important interface

problems

Task collection is selected by usability experts.

Outcomes

To keep heuristic evaluation exactly about the usability of the Interactive Navigation system following areas were evaluated

Equivalent between system and the actual world - The system should address the users'

language, with words and thought familiar to the users and making sure the system is in logical order.

User control - Sometimes user’s choose operations by mistake and there should be visibly

marked exits, undo and redo functions..

Mapping and metaphors - Users should not be confused whether different expression,

location, or actions means the same thing.

Error prevention - It's better to design good then to give a error message which prevents the problem occuring at first.

Identification rather than recall - Reduce the user's recall load by making objects,

behaviour, and options observable.

Design - It is the way information is shown in the interface,

dialogues should not contain information that is unrelated or rarely used.

Help and documentation - It may be essential to give help and documentation. Those information should be simple to search, determine on the user's job , list tangible to be carried out, and not be too large

System feedback- Error message should be expressed clearly.

Redundancies – Repetition any unnecessary data, fields or screens get in the

users’ way is to be avoided as it confuses the users.

Visibility – Icons should be visible, menu options should appear in same page and visual feedback when item is selected.

Focus groups

In this research number of people or users will be asked about their view, opinion and attitude towards this new developed software

It is done in an interactive group where users or participates are free to talk with other members. It is used for better understanding the motivation of user towards the developed software . It is usually done with a small group of people that have being involved with the system; the users will be ased questions to generate a discussion about certain issues.

Advantages

Group discussion

Group discussion gives data and insights that would be less available without

interaction found in a group setting.

Group of users determines a common language to explain related experiences.

Disadvantages

Time can be lost on issues immaterial to the topic.

Observers must be highly trained, and groups are quite changeable and

can be tough to be together

As number of members of a focus group is not big enough to be a representative

sample of a population; hence the data obtained from the groups is not

necessarily representing all population.

Questionnaire/ Interviews

Usability can be studied by asking the users through interviews and questionnaires. Questionnaires unlike interviews have to stand on their own, it is therefore essential that all questionnaires be subject to pilot testing and iterative design before they are given to the users . Also questionnaires should be developed is such a way that it should not irritate the users by being too long, too hard to understand, or incomplete will often get a low reaction rate. It may require a large amount of work to make the questions until they are easy to understand and easy to answer, once a final questionnaire are designed, it is easy to collect data from a large number of users. It is an indirect method as they only study the user not the user interface itself. The result will not be consistent as different users has different views.

8. Critical Appraisal

This project interactive shopping mall navigation aims to navigate the customers and users around the shopping mall to find users destination. The system is interactive and fulfil all the usability principles. But it still doesn't show actual path with animation which is still to be developed in future. Shopping mall consist of parking place, at the moment just the parking space in map with opening and closing time is shown but in future real time parking availability can be shown.

9.Conclusion

In this project I have developed simple Interactive Navigation System for Skyline Shopping Centre. This will significantly help the users or visitors to find the shops and services inside the shopping mall.

I enjoyed a lot while doing my project and learned PHP, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, MySQL, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery. I applied the methodology called Rapid Application Development (RAD) for my project. It helped me a lot from phase required and analysis to the implementation phase.

References

Books

Bob Hughes and Mike Cotterell, Software Project Management (5th ed), 2010 Publisher Mc Graw-Hill Education ISBN-0-07-070653-8

Jeff Zhuk , Integration-Ready Architecture and Design 2004 Publisher Cambridge ISBN-0-521-70411-1

Thomas Connolly and Carolyn Begg, Database System(4th ed) 2005 ISBN-978-81-317-2025-7

Ali Behforooz and Frederick J. Hudson

(Buzzle Intellegent life of web, 2013)

(Guru99, 2013)

(HotRecruiter, 2013)

(Build Security In, 2013)

(Scribd, 2013)