The Evaluation Of Existing Websites

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Ticket Swap

Introduction

Project Plan - Aims & Objectives

The proposed system is to create a prototype web application to promote fan to fan ticket exchanging when users cannot attend a scheduled event. The main aim for the system of ticket swap is that it will be easy to navigate and not complex to use. The free service will allow users to sign up to the service to contact other users if they wish to swap them. The user will need to firstly log in, and then use the navigation to find the certain city they live in, or search for tickets which are available for a certain event. This will send a query to the data base system to find and retrieve results back to the user. The website will be based on a wide target audience of any age, although the users will be mainly ones which enjoy going to events.

Requirements Gathering – System Analysis

Introduction

After looking into other websites I found that I could easily produce a more user friendly direction to exchanging tickets. The current similar applications out on the internet do not provide a good experience to the user. I therefore researched into the evaluation techniques I need to gather requirements for my website. I found that the website effectiveness review (Limited 2012) enabled me to review the different aspects of each of the websites efficiently to ensure I could gather my requirements for the prototype I am going to create. The four websites I am going to evaluate are swapmyticket (SwapMyTicket 2012), ticketmingle (ticketmingle 2012) and Ticketmaster (ticketmaster 2012).

Evaluation of existing websites

First impressions

Firstly, first impressions of the website mean everything. These determine whether the user will want to use the website or not. The websites URL also helps to paint a picture of the website itself so this needs to be easy to remember and catchy. Swap my ticket instantly gives the user an idea of the website. Although this website is readable, a large amount of text is on the website which is not clear to the user. The web page fits on one page which means the user does not need to use un-necessary scrolling. This website also has contact details and clearly explains where to go if you need help or have any trouble using the website. This allows the user to feel safer when using the website.

The ticket mingle website is clearer to use than the swap my ticket website so this is a good advantage. The navigation bar is down one side and the listings appear in the middle. The website also has login and register features which is a good idea to use when wanting to give users an identity. The website is more readable and all information is clearly displayed although the contact and help button are small at the bottom of the page.

Ticketmaster is an already established website which makes it difficult to compare to the prototype I am going to create. The websites colour scheme instantly takes you to the navigation bar and search bar at the top of the page. There is also some flash animations on the homepage which gives the website a more professional feel. The website also uses Arial font throughout which helps the user if they have any difficulty reading the text on the page.

Overall the first impressions of each of the websites are good. When creating the website, I need to ensure that the homepage does not have a large amount of text to make the page look clumsy and cluttered. The web page also needs to fit on one page to eliminate any scrolling. Clearly displaying the contact and information buttons at the top of the page also gives the user a feeling of safety when they are viewing the website. These few points will help me to create a better website for my project.

Navigation

The navigation on the website needs to be easy to use and clear for the user. It also needs to give direct access to the homepage through the navigation bar or logo to ensure the user does not get lost on the website. A sitemap will also help to clearly state which pages are going to link to each other. All links on the website should not be broken as this could frustrate the user. Links within the website itself will also give a professional impression on the user. Alt tags are also useful if graphics are not downloading correctly or if the user is visually impaired. All the navigation links all work correctly on each of the websites although the websites could be improved by using back buttons or more links so ensure that the user did not have to keep pressing back continuously. This is a technique I am going to use within the creation of my website.

Content

The content of the website needs to be up to date and presented in a readable way. Graphical content needs to be used to enhance the way the user visually sees the website and not reduce the professional look of it. Animation can also be used in this way to enhance the website visually although this should not take away the main reason of the website. The content is also going to be accessible for those with visual disabilities. I am going to research into the HCI of websites to understand how to create a better website. When reviewing the websites, I found that all but one were up to date and correct. The swap my ticket website had tickets for swap from last year meaning it was not kept up to date. On my website, I am going to ensure that all expired dates are not shown. I am also only going to use limited images on my website so it does not take it away from the actual content.

Attracts business

More websites get more traffic by using different techniques to get more business. These are such as competitions, using external links, adverts and email newsletters. These are good ways to remind the user to use the website in the future. As Ticketmaster is a well established website already, it uses newsletters and competitions to generate more views on the website and this ensures that they always have a good edge over competitors. When users are signing up to Ticket Swap, they will be asked to enter their email address. This will then be stored on a mailing list so that if any tickets are up for swap they can be easily notified.

Advertising

Advertising is always a big way to get users onto the website. When the website gets more established a banner could be made to be put onto other websites. All of the websites I have looked into use advertising. This is a good way to bring income into the website, especially when a fee is not charged for the service the website gives to the user. Using this technique on other affiliate sites also mean that when searching on search engines it is more likely to get a better ranking. It is also a good idea to have links to social networking websites as these bring in the main amount of customers of the website. If the website was to also become popular, advertising in specific magazines could be used to get ahead of the competition.

Contacts

Email and other details should always be available for any user to contact the website if needed. This ensures that a user feels safe when using the website. All website have contact details from phone numbers to email addresses. This would also help to take these details of the user so that if any problems arise with swapping tickets they can be contacted by the user who wants to swap.

Compatibility

The website also needs to be compatible for different browsers as well as different screen resolutions. This ensures the website can be seen correctly as well as the whole of the website being seen on one page. This will be taken into consideration when creating the website. All of the websites can be seen on other web browsers as well as fitted onto different screen resolutions.

Findings

When looking into the different websites, I found that first impressions are a good way to attract needed business so therefore the homepage does not need to have large amount of text so it is easy to read. Also the information needs to fit on one page to ensure no scrolling is necessary. When using navigation on the website, I am going to ensure all pages link to the homepage via a navigation bar as well as the website logo. All links will be working and alt tags will be used on all images and buttons. The websites main content will be through text although graphics will be used to catch the attention of users. The information will all be up to date as well as taking into consideration of human computer interaction. All contact information will also be taken to ensure users feel safe when using the website. It will also be ensured that the website is compatible for any user to use.

In the future to attract more business it would be recommended that email newsletters would be sent to existing users as well as using competitions and advertising banners on other websites. Advertising could also be done in music magazines and other websites to attract more customers. These are the main points I am going to take into consideration when creating the website.

User Requirements

The web application needs to offer a free online convenient alternative to ticket touting that is easy to use, user friendly and to wide target audience. The main content of the website will be text based although images will be used. The main target audience will be users which are 18+. This is because events are targeted at a number of different age ranges therefore all ages will need to be targeted. This will influence the design of the website as it needs to cater for all age ranges. Therefore the colour scheme of the website will remain plain. Users of different abilities will also be using the website so ensuring it remains easy to use and clear will attract more users.

Functional Requirements

HCI

Looking into Human Computer Interaction or HCI helps to give a better understanding of the user needs when creating a website. If a user has difficulties such as reading the website it needs to follow certain standards so they are still able to use the website to its full potential. As suggested by (Danino 2013), "HCI is the study, planning, and design of what happens when you and a computer work together". The user is a single user working at one desktop to a group of users working together. The computer being the technology and computer systems and the interaction is the difference between both such as the way the users use the computer.

Firstly, many users may have difficulties using the computer itself such as sight, hearing or touch. This means that the website you create always needs to be useable to the user as well as attractive. It also helps as it can be adapted to fit to the user’s needs instead of the user fitting to the computer. For example if the user cannot read the text on the website properly, the text reader will read it out correctly. Therefore, if the text is in the wrong order, the user will be confused and not want to use the website. It is said that "In the area of HCI, involving the website users in both the design and evaluation processes is essential, and user needs and requirements need to be fulfilled" (Sørum, Andersen and Vatrapu 2012). This is found in the journal article where user satisfaction is compared between high quality websites and low quality websites. The main point made is if the user is taken into consideration when creating and maintaining the website, the higher the user satisfaction.

After researching into the HCI of websites, I found that the need for it is essential when completing my project. Therefore when creating the website for the specific users, I am going to keep the complexity of the website to a minimum.

Research Methodology

Introduction

Within the research methodolgogy I am going to review the different life cycle models, types of databases, platforms I can use and the technology I can use. I them am going to make a decision to which methods I am going to use to create my application.

System Development Lifecycle Models

The main purpose of choosing a certain system development process model is so that the steps are clearly defined to create a final product. The phases are split into parts to ensure all parts of the system are taken into consideration when creating the end product. The framework is completed by scheduling how the project will be created and when it will be created to achieve the end product in a certain time frame. Most of the process models use the waterfall model as a basis and adapt on this. To help me research into the different life cycle models and come to a decision on which to use, I am going to use two well established publications. The first of the publications I am going to look into the (Cadle and Yeates 2008) Project Management for Information Systems. This book will help give me a better understanding of the different system life cycle models and how I can use them to enable a better project plan. It gives an in-depth look into each of the models.

I am then going to use the SWOT Analysis of Software Development Process Models (Sasankar and Chavan 2011) to get analysis of each of the models. This source gives detailed descriptions of many of the system development life cycle models so that they can be easily compared..

Waterfall Model

Visually a waterfall falls down in stages to get to the end. This is just like the waterfall model itself.

(Cadle and Yeates 2008) states "the waterfall model is generally taken to mean any sequential model divided into consecutive stages and having the attributes of the original model. The identification and naming of the stages are not fixed and can be modified to suit particular project characteristics." This means that mainly any project is suited to the waterfall model and this is the main reason most other models are based around the waterfall. To get a better view on what the waterfall model is about, i used this book to find more information about it.

The first stage at the top of the waterfall is the problem itself and how you are going to tackle that problem. A way of solving the problem is then determined just like finding requirements. The second step is to analyse the problem so the main requirements for the project are put forward. The design process then begins where the physical design of the system is looked at as well as the more logical part. The system is then developed the way it was defined before in the design process. The next stages goes on to the testing of the system. All problems are identified here and are corrected. The system is implemented and the documentation for the end user is created. This enables them to be able to use the system which has been created straight away. Maintenance is then used to ensure that they system is functioning properly throughout the time it is being used.

An advantage of the waterfall model is that it allows deadlines to be set for each stage so it will make it more likely to be done on time. It also helps to decide what parts of the project are to be done when as you clearly know which part to do and when to do it. It is also very easy and simple to use and you clearly know what you are doing and what order to do it in. This is also better for smaller projects where you clearly know what you want the outcome of the project to be.

The disadvantages are that most projects never really go through the different stages without making mistakes or having to come back to a stage. This creates problems if you are using this model. Also the actual project is not made until the late stages of the system. This creates problems if the software is not what the company wants or needs. (Sasankar and Chavan 2011) States that "Real projects rarely follow the sequential flow that the model proposes.". This can cause problems for the system developers as they may come across difficulties and problems when they are creating the system so they need to redesign.

Spiral Model

The spiral model is based on the waterfall model above as the same stages are used although the cycle is repeated more than once. The spiral model originated from Barry Boehm and was "designed in order to overcome the disadvantages of the waterfall model" (Nilesh 2012). It is mainly used in large projects as it allows for the system to be put together one stage at a time. The each individual steps can take from a few months to a number of years to complete.

The first step in the model identifies the system requirements. This includes looking into the objectives of what is needed to be done and evaluating the risks being taken and what is needed. The second phase looks into the ways the application can be made more efficient by looking at alternatives using risk analysis. This helps to resolve any problems you may face earlier in the development. In the third stage a prototype is made from the design which is a smaller version of the final product. Then finally in the fourth stage a second prototype is created and constructed. Testing is also completed here to find new requirements for the next spiral. This process is then continued until the system is fully created and it meets the defined requirements.

The advantages of the spiral model are that it allows for changes later on in the project. For example if you wanted to change something or realised something in the project was wrong, you could edit it later on compared to the other model. Also the actual system is created earlier in the software life cycle and then added to so that you can actually see whether it is working properly or not. It is stated that (Cadle and Yeates 2008) said that the spiral model "works reasonably well where the requirements of the system are well understood by the users and the environment is stable.". This means that the developing team need to know what they want from system and how they are going to use it to make sure the spiral works well.

The disadvantage of this model is that they are complex and are harder to follow and understand. This means it only works for larger systems. In the (Sasankar and Chavan 2011) journal, it is said that "Time spent planning, resetting objectives, doing risk analysis and prototyping may be excessive. ". This means that if it takes a large amount of time to plan, find objectives and use risk anaylsis, time will not be spent on other important parts of the system itself.

SSADM

SSADM stands for Structured System Analysis and Design Method and is a set of standards which were created for system analysis and application design projects. These standards use text and diagrams through the whole of the development process of the system. It is said the main objectives of the SSADM model is to "Improve project management and control… establish a framework for good communications between participants in a project" (Rouse and Smith 2008). This is completed by following a certain number of techniques to create the final project. Also ensuring that communications flow well between the customer and the project team allows for limited project failure. A main advantage of the SSADM is that because there is a specific framework of how the project should be completed, it is not as easy to go off track of the project itself. Although if you need to make changes to the system, these are not easy to implement so this may be a major disadvantage.

Chosen Life Cycle Model

The lifecycle model I am going to follow throughout the creation of my application is the waterfall model. This is because my application is small in size and is not being used for a large project. It will also be helpful to use the model to ensure the different stages are implemented correctly and in turn, create the final prototype. The main reason for not choosing the spiral model is due to its aim of helping larger more complex projects. The main reason for not using the SSADM is that changes are not easy to implement. Within the creation of my application I would like to ensure that there is defined tasks which need creating at a specific time.

Database research

For my database research, I am going to look into the different types of databases available and evaluate the different features each have to offer.

SQL Server

SQL Server is mainly known as a "powerful, yet easy-to-use relational database management system." (Schneider and Gibson 2008). The main reason for SQL Server being so powerful is the scale of how much you can use the software. SQL Server helps by giving the company a profession database system which can handle a large amount of data. The database system is also relational management system so therefore stores the data in related tables. This allows for faster data retrieval, especially if you have a large amount of data. Another main advantage of SQL Server is the support of data recovery it offers. It uses this by allowing for the database to be restored from the back up you have created.

A main disadvantage of using my SQL is "Microsoft SQL Server is only designed to run on Windows-based servers. (Moufarrege 2012)". Therefore use on different operating systems such as Mac OSX may be a problem. SQL Server also has a major disadvantage with licencing prices. These are relativly high for a small business so this would be something to take into concideration.

Microsoft Access

Access

- Cheaper than usual database software

- Easy to use wizards making things simple and quick

- Small simple database system

- All info is stored in one file resulting in limitations

- Not useable for large Database management systems.

The main reason why I have chosen to use Microsoft access is that I only need a small database which is easy to handle and manage. Therefore it is better in comparison to other database software.

Platform research

Dreamweaver

Warner, J. (2012). Dreamweaver CS6 for Dummies. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A useful guide on how to use Dreamweaver CS6. Covers all the different aspects of Dreamweaver which I need to use to create the web application therefore if I need tips on how to use the software, this book will help me.

Adobe Dreamweaver is a tool which can be used to create easy professional websites. It is one of the leading web authoring tools and anyone can use this software no matter what skills they have. This could be from beginners creating websites for fun to professionals wanting to create a business website.

Adobe Dreamweaver has many different features with the main one being how you actually create the website itself. For example you can either create your website visually or by using code. When creating the website in design view, you can easily create the website how you want it to look which Dreamweaver does all the hard coding in the background. Yet the code view lets the user insert the code and designs in the background. This makes Dreamweaver the best tool for both beginners and everyday users.

Dreamweaver also has a feature where it is most compatible in most browsers or operating systems.

The main requirements of Dreamweaver are around 512MB of RAM on Windows or Mac and also 1GB plus of hard disk space. This is quite good as for what the program itself does, it’s not as much as some other programs.

Dreamweaver also supports most of the newest web technologies including HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript and PHP so this is also a good feature for any website developer. You can also use Adobe Photoshop, Flash and Fireworks to create different objects to make your website more creative and make it stand out among the rest which i am going to talk about below. (Dreamweaver Features, 2011)

Dreamweaver

- Widely used therefore there is a lot of tutorials out there if any adaptations need to be made

- Most software used to create websites only create single pages whereas Dreamweaver is designed to create full sites

- Dreamweaver costs can be a major disadvantage if wanting to just create one website, yet it is a good investment if it is needed

I am going to use Dreamweaver as I am most comfortable with using this software. It is also easy compatible with editing software which I will be using for images.

Access

Groh, M. R. (2010) Access 2010 Bible. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Gives help and guidance into using Access 2010. This book also gives information on how to use the new user interface and services such as XML and the web. This will be helpful as I need to create a database to store information which is suitable for integrating into the web application.

sql server

Visual Studio

Mayo, J. (2012). Microsoft Visual Studio 2010: a beginner's guide. McGraw Osborne Media

Covers all aspects of Visual Studio such as the .Net framework. It also shows you the main tools and concepts within Visual Studio to help create the best application possible. This will help when it comes to creating the prototype.

ASP.Net

Sanders, W. B. (2008). ASP.NET 3.5: a beginner's guide. McGraw-Hill Osborne Media.

Guide showing you how to use ASP.NET to your best advantage. This will help as a refresher to using ASP.NET to create a dynamic application. ASP will be used to develop the system so this book will be helpful.

Photoshop

Snider, L. (2012). Photoshop CS6: The Missing Manual. Pogue Press; First Edition.

This book is an easy to use guide on how to use Photoshop CS6. It also gives an introduction to all the techniques which can be used as well as explaining in depth with illustrations. If I need to create any images this will be a good source to refer to.

Adobe Photoshop is software which is used to create and edit digital images by using hundreds of tools.

The main reasons which you would use Adobe Photoshop is to make photos which you have taken look better by refining them. This can be done quickly and easily as you have access to a number of different editing techniques to create better images which stand out among the rest. You can also add different techniques such as colour, editing things which you don’t want on the image or make things more aesthetically pleasing.

Photoshop is also user friendly as anyone such as beginners or advanced users can use it to create different images and use different techniques. Compared to Fireworks, Photoshop has more features for editing images although it doesn’t support creating links to use on websites as much. Therefore if you were creating images to use on a website, you would be best creating the buttons and hotspots in Fireworks and leaving the image editing up to Adobe Photoshop. The best features on Photoshop are as follows:

The best way to make use of the tools is to enhance images which have faded in colour. For example you can use the tools to restore the colour and making it look brighter so it may even look better than the image originally did.

Old photos can also be restored. This is a good feature as if the photo has been slightly damaged you can use the stamp tool to make the damaged part disappear and look like brand new. (Advantages of Photoshop, 2011)

Photoshop

- Can edit a number of images at the same time

- Images can be edited quickly and automatically

- Photoshop is relatively expensive so if you aren’t editing a large number of images, another option may be better

- Complicated to use

I am going to use Photoshop as techniques and fonts are in this software which cannot be found anywhere else.

Flash

Adobe Flash Professional is a software will allows you to create and edit animations which can be used on any device of any size or resolution. Just like Dreamweaver, any type of user can use Flash with different types of experience. This is because the more you use it, the more you learn and can create. Flash can also be used in conjunction with Dreamweaver as it can be used to animate objects on a website to make it more interactive.

Also just like Dreamweaver, Flash can be used on a number of different platforms and is compatible with many different web browsers. This makes it easier for animation to be imported and created, especially on websites.

Adobe Flash can be also used to add animation and video to enhance something and add interactivity to any webpage. Flash is also used to create advertisements such as pop up ads. When you see a pop up add, it always has some sort of flashing, animation text, so this is a way flash can be used. Another way Adobe Flash can be used is to create games. If you go onto a gaming website where you can play online games, this always has some sort of flash incorporated into it. This makes the game more interactive and fun to play. Sound and video are also supported in Flash making it an even better program to create animations in. (Flash Professional, 2011)

only let down with Flash is that to view it in a web browser you need to have Adobe Flash Player installed although most computers have this already done. If you didn’t have Flash Player installed, the viewer wouldn’t be able to see the animation. (Adobe Flash, 2011)

Fireworks

Fireworks are also another part of the Adobe suite in where you can create graphics for any use such as for the web, backgrounds or even print. Fireworks uses bitmap and vector graphics and edits them for how you want them to be.

Originally, fireworks was created by Macromedia yet these were taken over on 2005 by Adobe just like Flash and Dreamweaver. The main purpose of fireworks is to create graphics which are to be in putting on a website for example being able to add hotspots to the images so they link. This is also the easiest way to use different buttons or navigation bar as it is already done for you. (Fireworks Features, 2011)

Fireworks is also designed to work well with Dreamweaver and Flash player as they all mainly have the same layout so it’s easier to use. There is a number of reasons why using Adobe Fireworks compared to the other image editors is better. These are:

Individual special effects can be layered on top of each other for you to get an image to look the way you want it to.

Fireworks has technology which allows you to ,make the image larger without making it become pixelated like most image editors.

Images can also be edited to a professional standard quickly and easily.

Once you know how to use one program such as Dreamweaver or Flash, it is easy to pick up the tools which are used in Fireworks as you can locate them in the same places on each of the programs. (Adobe Fireworks, 2011)

Fireworks

- Fireworks have website optimisation which makes images to the smallest space they can to improve download speeds of the website.

- When used with Dreamweaver, once images are updated, it will automatically update the images on the website.

- This software doesn’t have as many capabilities as Photoshop has such as editing capabilities.

Although I can’t do as much editing in this software as Photoshop, I am going to use it so I can optimise my images so they are more suitable for using on the website.

Technology Decision

Architectures (Peer - Peer)

Languages

HTML

Html is short for Hyper Text Mark-up Language and is the main language which is used to create documents on the World Wide Web or internet. When using html, it defines the structure and the layout of the web document by using different attributes and tags, for example, <HTML> <BODY> </BODY> </HTML>. By using these tag you put what you want in your body of your website in between the body tags. There are also many more tags which are used to set out the layout of the web page. The browser then reads the html documents and displays these as WebPages. You can also write and edit html using software such as Dreamweaver, Visual Studio or even Notepad.

XHTML

XHTML stands for Extensible Hyper Text Mark-up Language and is a cleaner better version of the original HTML. It is also a combination of the widely used HTML and the XML (Extensible Mark-up Language. XHTML is basically a mark-up language where each tag and part of the language must be marked up correctly compared to HTML. For example, in html, it will still work correctly if in a paragraph you don’t close the tag. This is why it is different. There are also many different types of browsers such as ones which run on computers, ones which run on mobile phones or run on other devices. The smaller devices also don’t have the resources and capabilities to run a bad mark up language so this is why XHTML is preferred compared to HTML.

XML

XML stands for Extensible Mark up Language and is designed to transport and store data. This mark-up language is also similar to html. It is also called extensible mark up language as it isn’t in a fixed format like html is. This was also designed to carry and store the data compared to other languages which are designed to display data. Also when using xml, there isn’t no specific tags which are going to be used in comparison with html. These tags are defined by the creator themselves therefore they can be created when they are needed. This language was made to make sure it was straight forward and could be easily used over the internet over a wide range of applications. XML is also known as a metalanguage. This type of language is a language which uses other languages to design your own mark up language for different types of documents. The main reason xml can do this is because it’s written in a language which is an international standard metalanguage for text documents. Meaning anyone in the world ca n use and understand the language itself. (What is xml?, 2011)

JavaScript

JavaScript is another programming language which can be used to make the pages on the internet more interactive. This makes the website more appealing to users so more users use it. This also runs on the user’s computer rather than downloading every part of information from the website. Most web browsers support JavaScript so if the user is and they have their JavaScript enabled, this means the JavaScript will run. Also the JavaScript is also built into the web browser so it doesn’t have as many problems as the other programming languages. JavaScript is also mostly found in games websites and can be seen in everyday life on websites without you even noticing. These are for things such as gaming, animations ECT. You can also create JavaScript in small easy to find editors such as notepad. Also, to write simple JavaScript language, you don’t need any programming experience to be able to create simple programs.

VBScript

VB Script is short for visual basic scripting edition. This is a scripting language like all the rest of the languages yet this is developed by Microsoft itself and is supported by the most used web browser, internet explorer. This is a simpler language compared to the rest and enables users to include interactive parts in the program such as scrollbars, buttons and drop down menus on their web pages. Visual basic scripting works by internet explorer reading the html from the website and then interpreting the vb scripting. The vb script is just like the JavaScript above, yet they are made by different companies. A good point about the vb scripting is that it is clear and easy to follow and use. This makes it the most easy to use language

CSS

CSS is also known as cascading style sheets. The css style sheets save a lot of work when creating websites themselves and tell the web browser how to present a document. For example, different text or parts components can be displayed differently with the different style it has. Each style sheet has a number of properties. This makes sure that each page that uses the same style is consistent and the same throughout.

Also if you decide to use web site creators like macromedia Dreamweaver this will create the style sheets for you instantly in the background without you having to decide the code for it. You can then change the background colour, text colour, or anything else instantly and make amendments to the styles here instead of having to go through every piece of code and change it.

System Design

Racine, S. (2004). Design and Management Techniques for Creating Web-Based Applications. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 1488.

This journal gives an insight into the desgin of web applications and the techniques you need to take this further. The techniques are shown as steps on how to go about handling the project itself. I will then be able to use this throughout my project.

System requirements

Sign up/ Sign in to the website

Search for events

Add tickets to the system to swap

Swap tickets (details) with other users

Browse upcoming events by location

Create income from advertisements

System structure and architecture

Al-Fedaghi, S. (2011). Developing Web Applications. International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications. Vol 5.

Gives an insight into the techniques used in developing web applications. It also covers topics such as how to construct use case and flow diagrams which will be helpful for developing the application. This will help me understand the way in which I can create a better application by planning what I need to do effectively.

Data Flow Diagram

Use Case Diagram

Feasibility Report

Terms of Reference

This report identifies the objectives of creating a system for <<COMPANY NAME>>.

Applications considered for computerization

Dreamweaver – This will be used for creation of website.

Access – Used for creation of database.

Fireworks – This will be used for image editing, creation and optimisation.

Envisaged system requirements

The web application which is going to be created needs to display information on the different tickets available as well as upcoming events They also need to allow the user to sign up to the website using their details so they can log in the future. All information needed will be stored in the database.

Cost of development and implementation

The main costs which need to be taken into consideration are the hardware needed to get the website up and running online. This will be investigated into further on in the project. Once the system is running, only small matainence will be taken place so this would not be an issue.

Time scale for implementation

The timescale of the project is around five months.

Expected benefits

User friendly compared to other websites

Easy to use therefore more popular

Other considerations

Copyright

Protection

Ethical and social issues

Conclusion

A new web application consisting of a website and database needs to be created. This needs to ensure that users can communicate within the website to ethically swap their tickets with others.

application content and design

Brief

The website is going to be aimed at any age group as any user can go to an event. This is the main reason I have chose to use a plain colour scheme of grey background. This will have a white central overlay to bring the attention of the users to the main information on the website. The logo will be bold dark red to attract the attention of the user. The layout of the website will be typical to any other website which the users will have used before. This is because many users off different abilities will be using the website. These could be users which have only used the internet a few times before to users which have a good knowledge of using websites. The main navigation will be across the top center and will be interactive to give the website an edge. Although the images and interactivity will be kept to a minimum to ensure that the website runs efficiently and download speeds are good.

Sitemap

Home page

How to Swap

Venues

Your Swap

Help/Contact

Venue 1

Venue 2

Storyboards

Banner/Logo

Login

Register

Home

Terms/Copyright Notice

How to Swap

Venues

Your Swap

Contact

Text on new events for swap with links to the venues page.

Interactive images.

Homepage

Banner/Logo

How to Swap

Login

Register

Home

Terms/Copyright Notice

How to Swap

Venues

Your swap

Contact

Information on how to use the website to swap tickets and how the website works

Interactive images.

How to Swap

Banner/Logo

Venues

Login

Register

Home

Terms/Copyright Notice

How to Swap

Venues

Your Swap

Contact

List of current venues with links to venue pages to enable users to swap tickets

Venues

Banner/Logo

Swap your unwanted tickets

Login

Register

Home

Terms/Copyright Notice

How to Swap

Venues

Your Swap

Contact

Gives information on how to log in/register and edit your swap details

Interactive images.

Your Swap

Banner/Logo

Contact

Login

Register

Home

Terms/Copyright Notice

How to Swap

Venues

Your Swap

Contact

Gives all contact details.

Contact

Database structure and design

data structures

Normalisation

Data dictionary

Field

Data Type

Attributes

Description

swapID

AutoNumber

Automatic generated number to give the swap a specific id.

userID

AutoNumber

Stores the user id to give it a specific number

venueID

AutoNumber

Stores a specific number for a specific venue.

ticketArtist

Text

(50)

Stores information about the ticket artist.

ticketQuantity

Number

(1)

Stores information about the quantity of tickets for swap.

ticketDate

Date/Time

Short Date

Stores the date of the ticket.

ticketValue

Currency

Currency

Stores the cost value of the ticket.

Username

Text

(20)

Stores the users specific username.

Password

Text

(20)

Stores the users password.

firstName

Text

(20)

Stores the users first name.

Surname

Text

(20)

Stores the users second name.

emailAddress

Text

(50)

Stores the users email address so other users can contact them.

City

text

(30)

Stores the users location to find tickets easily.

venueName

Text

(50)

Stores the name of the venue so it can be put onto the website

venueLocation

Text

(30)

Stores the location of the venue itself to give more information about it.

Entity Relationship Diagram

Application development

Construction of the website

Construction of database

Testing

Testing Research

Khan, M. E., & Khan, F. (2012). International Journal of Advanced Computer Sciences and Applications, A Comparative Study of White Box, Black Box and Grey BoxTesting Techniques, 12-15.

Gives an insight into the software testing of white box, black box and grey box. This will help within the project as it will outline what type of testing I am going to use to find any errors within the application.

Black box

White box

Testing chosen

Testing

User testing web pages

Testing database

Testing evaluation

Project Reflection

Reflection of whole project

Further improvements