A Real Problem

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 BGCOLOR="#999999" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="061005f0ermwup.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>EDIT 797 - Performance Based Design</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EDIT 797 Performance Based Design"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> back to the start of<B>  </B><A HREF="id284.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10/28/2002"><U><B>10/28/2002</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>  </B><A HREF="id284.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10/28/2002"><U><B><IMG SRC="05e0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>      </B><A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Short Quiz"><U><B><IMG SRC="05f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission"><U><B><IMG SRC="0600e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Short Quiz"><U>A Short Quiz</U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8bf000000.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A Real Problem</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission"><U>Mission</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Process Model"><U>Process Model</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Diversity Model"><U>Diversity Model</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id216.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Representations"><U>Representations</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Interaction Design"><U>Interaction Design</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id218.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Interface Design"><U>Interface Design</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id219.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Test Usability"><U>Test Usability</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id220.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Answers"><U>Answers</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> A Real Problem</div> <div> A word-processing function that is seldom used by typical consumers of such software is <I><B>mail merge</B></I>.  This function allows the performer to create a single letter template, but automatically addresses the letter to a number of recipients.  For example, the <A HREF="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/docs/coverletter.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/d"><U>letter shown </U></A><A HREF="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/docs/coverletter.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/d"><U>here</U></A> can be merged with the <A HREF="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/docs/datafile.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/d"><U>data file shown here</U></A> to automatically create as set of  individual letters addressed to each person in the data file.</div> <bR> <div> The <A HREF="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/docs/procedure.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pcd-innovations.com/EDIT797/d"><U>procedure for executing the mail merge (shown here)</U></A> is rather cumbersome, even for this simple case.  As a matter of fact, the simple case is about all most people ever wish to do with the mail merge function.  Yet there are many, many additional and <I>confusing</I> features, evident in the procedure.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="678" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#A6CAF0 HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="672"><div> <I><B>Your goal is to design a performance-centered mail merge system that will meet the needs of the typical performer (...which are exemplified above).</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></I></div> <bR> <div> The following slides provide a framework for your work on this problem, with links to relevant materials that have been presented in class.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>