Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
You can always try Jesse James Garrett's Visual Vocabulary: http://www.jjg.net/ia/visvocab/. I think that you would use the user decision diamond, but maybe you can find more info/validation here. Good luck! Lis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44552 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
my 2c what I would do in this situation: The user sees one screen, hence there is one rectangular box for the screen. After that, there is a diamond that branches according to the decision that user made. Nobody says there can only be 2 outcomes. I have done diamonds with 4 or 5 outcomes, and the Diagram Police has not caught me yet, so it's fine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44552 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
Thanks for the great explanation! This is quite helpful! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44552 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
I would use the decision diamond as this is what is traditionally used in flowcharts to represent a decision needing to be made, in this case, probably what is the user doing to create which state in the system. If there is a generic decision, such as "What happens?" then have five different paths leading from the diamond, labeling each path with the appropriate identifying scenario text, such as "error message is generated", "success message is generated", goes to some other system, whatever the case may be. Hope that helps. Courtney Jordan -Original Message- From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com [mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of min Ouyang Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 3:01 AM To: disc...@ixda.org Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box? I'm doing an exercise to practice the design of task flow. I have one step which has 5 options in it. And the user is supposed to choose one and move forward. In this case, shall I use the diamond decision box or the rectangular action box to illustrate this step? I googled a little bit. And it seems that the outcome of a diamond box is usually YES or NO instead of options. Where can I find more complicated samples for learning purpose? Thanks. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
What you're trying to chart is a switch statement. It can be done with multiple decision nodes. Here is an example... http://www.gailer-net.de/tutorials/java/Notes/chap43/ch43_8.html And there is more info here on charting different decision statements... http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/eet/courses/referencematerial/atmel/Control_Statements/control_statements.htm Depending on the audience for this chart, you could certainly simplify to using an action box with 5 decision paths out. The multiple decision node approach might be confusing to people not familiar with diagramming logical flows. However, if you're creating specifications for engineers, a detailed flowchart showing each decision node would probably be the right way to go. I find it's best to target the communication method to fit the needs of the intended audience, rather than be to concerned with keeping true to a particular format. It's a balancing act. Personally, I don't like seeing a decision (diamond) node with anything other than a yes/no output - that comes from my EE digital logic background - to me it's a yes/no (on/off) switch. But I know I'm probably in the minority on that opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44552 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
On Mike's note: I have found that a system's behavior can be modeled in two ways. For engineers, there is the UML Activity Diagram, which is what the first link refers to. And then there is Garrett's Information Architecture/Navigation Map/UI flow diagram. They look deceptively similar because they share some (not all) of the same elements, but I've found I get the best results when I keep these two things separate, since they need to emphasize different things for different audiences. So, as is said, "it's best to target the communication method to fit the needs of the intended audience". Is this a specification for an engineer to code the system, or beginning point of sketching and designing the UI screens? Both are valid, but deserve a different approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44552 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
I'm with Mike. Additionally, if your docs are being reviewed by engineers, you'll be better off sticking to traditional/logical treatments of decision nodes (they'll appreciate it/won't make fun of the IA). -Anne On Tue, Aug 11, 2009 at 3:40 AM, Mike Myles wrote: > What you're trying to chart is a switch statement. > > It can be done with multiple decision nodes. Here is an example... > > http://www.gailer-net.de/tutorials/java/Notes/chap43/ch43_8.html > > And there is more info here on charting different decision > statements... > > http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/eet/courses/referencematerial/atmel/Control_Statements/control_statements.htm > > Depending on the audience for this chart, you could certainly > simplify to using an action box with 5 decision paths out. The > multiple decision node approach might be confusing to people not > familiar with diagramming logical flows. However, if you're creating > specifications for engineers, a detailed flowchart showing each > decision node would probably be the right way to go. > > I find it's best to target the communication method to fit the needs > of the intended audience, rather than be to concerned with keeping > true to a particular format. It's a balancing act. > > Personally, I don't like seeing a decision (diamond) node with > anything other than a yes/no output - that comes from my EE digital > logic background - to me it's a yes/no (on/off) switch. But I know > I'm probably in the minority on that opinion. > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44552 > > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help > -- Anne Hjortshoj | anne...@gmail.com | www.annehj.com | Skype: anne-hj Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Flowchart: action box or decision box?
I think perhaps the conditional branch (triangle) is more appropriate, however the trick is to look at what the outcome of a step is. Basically: Does choosing any of the 5 options returns the same page? Or does it return one of 5 possible pages depending on the choice? For example: If the outcome is one two possible paths depending on an answer (yes/no), then branch = diamond If the the outcome is one of 3 or more paths depending on multiple choice, then branch = triangle If the outcome is only one path regardless of which options where chosen, then no branching Hope it helps :) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44552 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
