Survey Generation System with Drag-and-Drop Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing survey creation systems make it difficult for users to design and distribute surveys with desired question types and appearances, limiting their effectiveness in obtaining feedback from participants.
Innovation Solution
A system with a user interface that includes a designer view and a participant view, allowing drag-and-drop functionality for survey components, enabling users to create and edit surveys intuitively, with the ability to save and assemble surveys as XML documents for output to participants or external applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If surveys are distributed by paper questionnaires with manual compilation, then users can create surveys with desired question types and appearances, but the process is time-consuming and difficult to distribute to large numbers of users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of paper questionnaires and manual compilation with an electronic survey system that uses computer-generated surveys and automated data collection. The survey generator creates surveys in electronic format, and the system automatically compiles responses, eliminating the need for physical handling and manual data entry while maintaining the ability to create customized survey questions and layouts.
2Productivity
If computerized surveys are used for convenient distribution to large numbers of users, then time for distribution is reduced, but it becomes difficult for users to create and distribute surveys with desired question types and appearances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the survey creation process into distinct components: a survey generator that handles the technical aspects of survey creation and distribution, and a user interface that provides simplified tools for users to define questions and responses. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high productivity in distribution while keeping the user creation process simple and intuitive, with the generator handling complex formatting and electronic distribution automatically.
3Ease of operation
If surveys are created with limited question types and simple appearance, then ease of creation is improved, but the ability to match participant expectations and improve feedback quality is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component - the survey generator - that acts as a mediator between the user's simple input and the complex survey output. Users provide basic question definitions through an intuitive interface, and the generator translates these into professionally formatted surveys with appropriate question types, validation logic, and customized appearances that meet participant expectations, thereby achieving both ease of creation and high customization precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A survey generation system is described that allows a survey designer to design and implement a survey for obtaining feedback from participants of the survey. Survey components are displayed within a first portion of a user interface, where each survey component is associated with a type of survey question. The survey designer may select one or more of the survey components by “dragging and dropping” the selected survey component to a second portion of the user interface, where the survey generation system automatically creates an editable instance of the selected survey component and corresponding question type. The survey designer may enter a desired question, and associated answer choices, if any. In this way, the survey designer designs the survey in an easy, fast, and intuitive manner, and, in particular, views the survey as it will appear to the participant, even during the design of the survey.