0. Guiding Principles

0. Background

1. Bahmni is for low-res hospitals, so extreme efficiency is the primary goal of its design.

2. Consider the low computer literacy in many situations, some balance is needed.

1. Linearity

1. The process of a patient visit is linear, thus all steps in Bahmni must be made linear.

2. This means all pages must be very clear about: how many steps are there, where is this step and what is next.

3. There should be one and only one CTA in each page and it should lead to the next step, or conclude current process.

4. To avoid confusion, all secondary actions must be explicitly made less apparent than the CTA.

2. Consistency

1. Efficiency comes from drills and habits, not intuitive interface; habits are formed by predictability, which is in term a product of consistency.

2. We need to limit the usage of controls to a handful, and make sure they are used consistently according to rules.

3. Physical

1. An internal system for hospitals needs zero surprises; this is done by mimicking the phyiscal world.

2. Physical world has the following characteristics: proper and predictable feedback; always with transition, no magic; easily recoverable.

3. Proper and predictable feedback must be added to all controls according to the spec.

4. All steps, actions, control movement must be accompanied with transitional effects, as in the physical world nothing comes out of blue, or disappears without a trace.

5. Actions should be made recoverable; non-recoverable action needs confirmation.

4. Responsive

5. Minimum