Introduction
As a trainee Data Analyst working for a specialist cheese importing company, I was
required to design, develop and review a spreadsheet-based data model to meet the
needs of a real-world client. The client is a specialist cheese importing company that
purchases products in Euros and sells them in Pounds Sterling. Because of this,
changes in the Euro to Pound exchange rate directly affect product costs, pricing
decisions and overall profit.
The purpose of this project was to create a data model that helps the company
understand how changes in exchange rates and pricing impact costs and profit. The
model uses existing company data for the five bestselling cheeses: Camembert,
Emmental, Gruyere, Edam and Gouda. By using realistic business data, the model
reflects situations the company may encounter in day-to-day operations.
This assignment covers Learning Aim B and Learning Aim C. Learning Aim B focuses
on producing and reviewing design ideas and justifying design decisions to show how
the final design meets the client requirements. Learning Aim C focuses on
developing, reviewing and optimising the data model to ensure it is fit for purpose
and suitable for real-world use.
B.P3 Produce designs for a data model which meet client
requirements.
Before creating the data model, I analysed the client requirements to understand
what the system needed to achieve. The cheese company required a spreadsheet
model that could calculate costs, sales prices and profit automatically, while showing
the impact of changes in exchange rates and pricing. The model also needed to be
suitable for non-expert users, meaning it had to be clear, well-structured and easy
to navigate.
My initial design focused on placing most features on a single worksheet. This design
included input areas, calculation tables, charts and navigation buttons on one page.
The intention was to reduce the need for navigation and allow users to see all
information at once. However, although this design included the required
functionality, it appeared cluttered and difficult to follow. The close placement of
buttons and tables reduced readability, and the layout did not clearly separate
inputs from calculated outputs.
,(Initial homepage design)
(Currency exchange rate initial design)
, (Graph initial design)
B.P4 Review the designs with others, to identify and inform
improvements.
To improve the quality of the data model design, I reviewed my initial and improved
designs with others, including peers and my teacher. The purpose of this review
process was to identify weaknesses in usability, layout and presentation and to use
feedback to inform design improvements.
Feedback from the teacher:
Buttons need 3D style
Replace flat shapes with 3D Form Controls.
Currency exchange rate unclear:
Add real exchange figures, labels, and short explanation.
Peer feedback supported this view and additionally identified that it was not
immediately clear where users should enter data and where calculated results were
As a trainee Data Analyst working for a specialist cheese importing company, I was
required to design, develop and review a spreadsheet-based data model to meet the
needs of a real-world client. The client is a specialist cheese importing company that
purchases products in Euros and sells them in Pounds Sterling. Because of this,
changes in the Euro to Pound exchange rate directly affect product costs, pricing
decisions and overall profit.
The purpose of this project was to create a data model that helps the company
understand how changes in exchange rates and pricing impact costs and profit. The
model uses existing company data for the five bestselling cheeses: Camembert,
Emmental, Gruyere, Edam and Gouda. By using realistic business data, the model
reflects situations the company may encounter in day-to-day operations.
This assignment covers Learning Aim B and Learning Aim C. Learning Aim B focuses
on producing and reviewing design ideas and justifying design decisions to show how
the final design meets the client requirements. Learning Aim C focuses on
developing, reviewing and optimising the data model to ensure it is fit for purpose
and suitable for real-world use.
B.P3 Produce designs for a data model which meet client
requirements.
Before creating the data model, I analysed the client requirements to understand
what the system needed to achieve. The cheese company required a spreadsheet
model that could calculate costs, sales prices and profit automatically, while showing
the impact of changes in exchange rates and pricing. The model also needed to be
suitable for non-expert users, meaning it had to be clear, well-structured and easy
to navigate.
My initial design focused on placing most features on a single worksheet. This design
included input areas, calculation tables, charts and navigation buttons on one page.
The intention was to reduce the need for navigation and allow users to see all
information at once. However, although this design included the required
functionality, it appeared cluttered and difficult to follow. The close placement of
buttons and tables reduced readability, and the layout did not clearly separate
inputs from calculated outputs.
,(Initial homepage design)
(Currency exchange rate initial design)
, (Graph initial design)
B.P4 Review the designs with others, to identify and inform
improvements.
To improve the quality of the data model design, I reviewed my initial and improved
designs with others, including peers and my teacher. The purpose of this review
process was to identify weaknesses in usability, layout and presentation and to use
feedback to inform design improvements.
Feedback from the teacher:
Buttons need 3D style
Replace flat shapes with 3D Form Controls.
Currency exchange rate unclear:
Add real exchange figures, labels, and short explanation.
Peer feedback supported this view and additionally identified that it was not
immediately clear where users should enter data and where calculated results were
