Arranging Fields According to Screen Sequence (SAP Library - BC

Arranging Fields According to Screen Sequence

Defining the Screen Sequence

The sequence of the screens should correspond to the user's work process. Place important fields on the earlier screens of a task.

Accessing Individual Screens of a Screen Sequence

Allow the user to address individual screens as variably as possible and to move backwards and forwards in a screen sequence.

Although this guideline affects the navigation between screens rather than the scroll design, it nevertheless affects the arrangement of information on screens.

Arrangement and Number of Fields on a Screen

A screen in a screen sequence should correspond to a concept or a user sub-task. Display only the data that are essential for a taskin hand in the work area. Additional information should only be available on request or on a separate screen.

Arranging Fields in the Work Area

Field arrangement criteria:

Follow the Effects on Perception.

The sequence of screens should correspond to the user's work process.

If there is a corresponding hard-copy form, the work area should have this form.

Position general fields before specific fields.

Position important fields in the top left corner of the work area.

If no special design elements such as different colors have been used in a work area, the attention of the user is distributed in accordance with the percentages shown in the following illustration. One-column work areas are thus preferable to two-column work areas.

Distribution of Attention

Generally, fields should appear at the top left of the work area. On initial screens, the first field should be implemented in the third line, on other data screens in the first line.

Keep Templates Consistent

Make sure that all colleagues involved in designing the screens for a particular task, all follow the same criteria. If a table has a header on one screen, the header is to appear on all screens in the task.

Efficiency vs. Good Design

In the event of conflict, an efficient dialog procedure has priority over an aesthetically pleasing design of the work area.