Need help with all design tools!!!

[webbo]

Design tools seem to be all over the place in my textbook and I'm having trouble putting them all together. Which ones do we need to know & basic characteristics of each of them and which ones are used for functionality and which for appearance? Does anyone have notes, perhaps with pictures/diagrams on this? Thankyou in advance!! 

[ITTeacher]

Planning how the solution will function, and the appearance of the resulting information. The solution design typically involves identifying what specific data is required and how the data will be named, structured, validated and manipulated. Typical design tools for this purpose include data structure diagrams and input-process-output (IPO) charts. Solution design also involves, where appropriate, showing how the various components of a solution relate to one another, for example web pages, style sheets, scripts; queries, forms, reports. Typical design tools used to show relationships include storyboards, site maps, entity-relationship diagrams, structure charts, hierarchy charts. Planning the solution also involves determining the appearance of information generated from a solution. This typically involves identifying the position of text, images and graphics, font sizes, colours and text enhancements. Design tools used for this purpose include layout diagrams, annotated diagrams/mocks up.

This is a modified version of the Design section from the PSM in the Study Design. It's been modified to remove all of the design tools that focus on Software Development, so you're not distracted.

Regarding the key skills from the study design:
Websites: select and apply appropriate design tools to represent the functionality (loosely site maps-  although they technically show relationships) and appearance (annotated mock up diagrams) of prototype websites
Databases: select and apply design tools and techniques for describing data types (data structure table) and representing the functionality of solutions (Data structure diagram AND Entity relationship diagram)
Spreadsheets: select and apply appropriate design tools to represent solutions (mock ups and IPO charts, but probably neither will be examined)

Based on 2011-2014 exams, the only design tools you have had to draw into a blank space is Entity Relationship Diagrams and Annotated Mock ups.

I think it's unlikely you'd ever have to show any others from scratch.

I'd encourage you to use a Data structure diagram to show Normalisation.

But otherwise, it'd be "fill in the blanks" style questions. Data structure tables for example, are often included, but they ask for nothing more that a data type to be assigned to a field, sitemaps have been included where you would demonstrate where to add new pages.

Otherwise, go back to the top paragraph, and make sure you know which design tools relate to appearance and which relate  to relationships and which relate to functionality as those questions are often asked in multiple choice.