Page History

When Frodo logs in and uploads his file sets, this is the first screen he would see. At the top, there is a title bar indicating that he is in analysis mode. There is a flat very lightly colored gray scale map of the area in question (pictured here is the northern two-thirds of Africa). Similarly to Google Maps, Frodo can drag around the map with the mouse, as well as zoom in and out using the controls on the left. In the top left there is a button that toggles between month and year (other option can maybe be added) and corresponds to the slider on the bottom. For instance, if he is in month-mode, the slider will move through monthly averages of the data from January to December while in yearly mode, it would move from 2000-2012 or something of that nature. On the top right of the screen, there is a button titled "Layers" which when Frodo clicks on it, will generate a drop-down list that contains all the data sets Frodo had selected on logging in. The large arrow on the right of the screen allows Frodo to shift into the next mode (which for lack of a better name is referred to as the edit mode in this design), after he has finished his analysis of the data sets.

Frodo can then click on the "layers" menu and select the option, "demographics" (here written as population) for instance. The first consequence of this action is that a box with the name "demographics" and a small "x" will appear to the left of the "layers" menu. In addition, the data set will be added to the map. Color and specific shading can of course be determined later, but let's assume for this design that demographics is represented by the color red. In that case, a light red area representing the entire year's population area will appear on the map, and a bright, solid red will indicate the area covered in that specific month. There would be a similar outcome in yearly mode as well.

Frodo clicks on the "layers" menu again. We can see the menu pop open here. He selects a new layer, "rainfall" for instance, and it gets added to the map, in a different color from demographics, but overlaying the previous data set.

When Frodo is done setting the data, he can hit the arrow on the right side of the screen to move forward. The first thing to occur after this action is that the title bar will change to "edit" mode (here written as "edit hotspots"), and a pop up window will appear as the background fades out in some way indicating inactivity. The window will indicate some backend sort of magic occurring (not the focus of this class, so we will just assume it exists) that will generate a number of new hot spots, strategically placed on the map.

After the computer finishes generating the new towers, this last frame pops up.

 This is the "edit" mode screen that

Frodo can actually interact with. Note that now the arrow is on the left side of the screen, indicating the way which

he can return to the analysis screen (by clicking or perhaps with a keyboard shortcut).

The layers menu

button along with the current layers

are still visible, although not editable. What is new, however, are the circular forms on the map. Each of these circles

represents a new wifi tower as generated by the magic backend algorithm. There are also sliders (three sliders

pictured, although more or less might be appropriate as needed for the parameters the users desire) in which

Frodo can adjust things like total cost, quantity of towers, average strength of towers, power used, etc. These sliders would have an immediate effect on the representations of the wifi towers on the map, in that using the sliders would change the size of the circles appropriately. In addition, it would be possible to manipulate each individual tower by clicking on it. Clicking on a circle would display the information pertaining to that particular tower (i.e. location, strength, wattage, and whatever else is relevant). It would also be possible to drag it to change the range or move the circle itself.

 Frodo can use these manipulations in order to place the towers ideally based on whatever criteria is most important.  Although not pictured, there would be a share button to the left of the save button which would allow Frodo to send a message to Samwise with the current design.  Samwise could then respond through email or chat or something like that.  The save button would both allow Frodo the option of saving the layout to his computer and also of submitting an official report to Gandalf.  Thus, when Frodo is done, it is very easy and intuitive to save and submit.