Netpack Project Summary
User Interface Plan Sample document
What is a User Interface Plan?
This interface plan shows how each screen in this part of the CMS connects to each other.
What is it used for?
Based on an analysis of user's authoring tasks (in this case managing a user's entries in NetPack), the UI plan helps organize specific functions in a logical way, without yet worrying about the visual details of the interface itself: what information and functions does the user at the first step? At the second? A simple paper-based prototype can be made from this plan to check that users have access to the functions they need at each step of authoring.
Why create an User Interface plan?
Since it's quick to make and change the UI plan, interface designers and programmers can look at this diagram early in the design process. Visual designers can begin thinking about page designs that accommodate the information required on each screen, and programmers can plan client-server interactions. This type of diagram can also be used when planning a phased development: the system is organized into logical modules. Without this step of planning, the team can often move too quickly into screen design and coding.