| History as Tool and Application: The Journey from HCI'91 | | BIBAK | 3-14 | |
| John M. Carroll | |||
| Multimedia and networking technologies enable new notions of what history is
and new ways to both respect and utilize historical aspects of the system
development process. These possibilities are illustrated with discussions of
two recent design history systems. Raison d'Etre is a video information system
that presents stories and personal perspectives of design team members recorded
at various times through the course of a project. The Blacksburg Electronic
Village HistoryBase is a networked multimedia information system now being
developed that presents documents and annotations describing a community
network and the community within which it exists. Keywords: Design, History, Design rationale, Design history | |||
| Support for HCI Educators: A View from the Trenches | | BIBAK | 15-20 | |
| Jean B. Gasen | |||
| HCI educators face a number of challenges in developing successful learning
environments. These include scanning and filtering for relevant HCI
information, extending and adapting that knowledge for use in educational
contexts, and integrating the result into existing education frameworks. Each
of these is considered in more detail and a set of recommendations for
supporting HCI educators also is described. Developing closer ties between the
research, education and practice communities of HCI is recommended. Keywords: Education, Body of knowledge | |||
| Looking through HCI | | BIBAK | 21-36 | |
| T. R. G. Green | |||
| The study of human-computer interaction (HCI) could and should benefit from
the study of interaction with all types of complex information-based artifacts.
Examples of such 'computerless HCI' are given to illustrate the problems of
'mature disfluency' and error repair, and to show that computerless situations
can be useful testbeds for HCI analyses. The crux of the problem is to
consider HCI itself in its own terms, as a complex information-based artifact;
to be successful it must be both useful and usable, which means meeting its
potential users on their own terms. The 'cognitive dimensions' framework is
briefly sketched as a tool which, while not having great power, aims to be
comprehensible to non-specialists and which can be applied to all types of
complex information-based artifacts. The proposal that HCI should broaden its
base and should increase its usability seems to be well in accordance with
themes found in the previous decade of invited papers. Keywords: Errors, System image, Cognitive dimensions, Usability | |||
| Time and the Web: Representing and Reasoning about Temporal Properties of Interaction with Distributed Systems | | BIBAK | 39-50 | |
| Chris Johnson | |||
| New groups of users are learning to exploit the facilities provided by
Internet browsers, such as Mosaic and Netscape. The graphical interaction
style supported by these systems eases the traditional burdens of information
retrieval using methods such as the file transfer protocol (ftp). In
consequence, distributed information sources are being made available to people
whose interests do not lie solely in computer science or systems engineering.
This rapid growth in the Internet has exposed users to interaction problems
that rarely occur with stand-alone computer systems. In particular, people are
often faced with unpredictable timing delays over remote networks. These delays
lead to frustration and error which can, in turn, prevent users from
successfully retrieving necessary information. This paper exploits Clarke &
Emerson's Computation Tree Logic (CTL) to identify presentation techniques that
can support retrieval tasks. It is argued that CTL provides a convenient means
of representing and reasoning about temporal properties of interaction with
distributed systems. Keywords: Interface design, Temporal logic, World Wide Web, Distributed systems | |||
| Cyberspace: The HCI Frontier? A New Model in Human-Computer Interaction | | BIBAK | 51-62 | |
| Ana Almeida; Licinio Roque; Antonio Figueiredo | |||
| As personal computing gives way to interpersonal computing, the existing
models for the description of human-computer interaction prove incapable of
accommodating the indispensable decentralization of control and distribution of
action. With most computer based activities swiftly moving into the virtual
space of online information exchange, we propose that an extension of the
existing models should be made to the broad dimension of unbound online space.
This is mainly a think piece about networking information and interaction,
based on the concepts of space and action. Namely, we take the concept of
bulletin board system as a paradigm for the analysis of online information
exchange, and derive from it the concept of a Common User Environment (CUE),
the basic building block of our architecture. We then interconnect those CUEs
in networks that make up cyberspaces: virtual spaces of Human to Human
Interaction, supported by a network of computers. This concept of cyberspace
becomes our proposal of both an architecture and a model for the description
and design of human-computer interaction and is the subject of our current
work. Keywords: Interpersonal computing, Online information exchange, Space, Cyberspace,
Human factors in cyberspace, Interaction architecture | |||
| Evaluation of Techniques for Specifying 3D Rotations with a 2D Input Device | | BIBAK | 63-76 | |
| Ines Jacob; Javier Oliver | |||
| In this paper four techniques for the rotation of 3D objects on screen are
evaluated. These techniques are called controllers, and they all use the mouse
as input device. The controllers studied, the experiment design, the way of
carrying it out and some of the results obtained are described. The aim of the
experiment is to compare the different controllers and to test the influence of
some user and task's characteristics on the time spent in the task and on the
precision reached. Keywords: 3D graphics, 3D interaction techniques | |||
| Interactive Task Support on the Shop Floor: Observations on the Usability of the Interactive Task Support System and Differences in Orientation and Hands-On Training Use | | BIBAK | 79-93 | |
| Marko Nieminen; Jyrki J. J. Kasvi; Anneli Pulkkis; Matti Vartiainen | |||
| This paper deals with a hypermedia based interactive task support system
(ITSS) developed in the Laboratory of Industrial Psychology. The system is
aimed to train work tasks and to support employees at an assembly line. The
problems of the study concern the differences of the orientation and hands-on
training use of the ITSS and its usability. The use and usability of ITSS was
studied on the shop floor at an assembly factory of ABB Industry. The research
methods included log-file based computer event logging and user observation.
The results show that in the orientation use of the ITSS, no information was
accessed more than the other. In the hands-on training use, employees followed
the recommended routes and sought detailed information, preferring pictures and
digitised speech. Usability tests showed some fundamental problems in the
functional structure of the ITSS. Keywords: Multimedia, Usability evaluation, Assembly work, Task support | |||
| HyperDoc: An Interactive Systems Tool | | BIBAK | 95-106 | |
| Harold Thimbleby; Mark Addison | |||
| HyperDoc is an interactive development tool for designing interactive
devices. Although HyperDoc's main purpose is to help design and analyse
interactive devices and their manuals, it can also be used to investigate and
demonstrate interactive help. HyperDoc itself represents a future user
interface for many types of interactive consumer products, such as VCRs and
TVs. Exciting developments of HyperDoc include integrating it as an operating
system primitive, thus ensuring all systems can be both well-designed and
well-documented. Introduction Keywords: Interactive development tools, Hypertext, Documentation, Finite state
machines, Assistance, Help | |||
| A Proper Explanation When You Need One | | BIBAK | 107-118 | |
| Harold Thimbleby; Peter B. Ladkin | |||
| Quality program design has received considerable attention from the software
engineering community. Quality user manual design has received considerable
attention from the human computer interaction community. Yet manuals and
systems are often independently conceived, and thus do not well complement each
other. This paper shows one method of easily obtaining correct and complete
user manuals guaranteed to correspond with the system they document. The
method has considerable merit for improving interactive systems design. Keywords: User manuals, Interactive systems programming, Iterative design, Safety | |||
| Everyday Theories, Cognitive Anthropology and User-Centred System Design | | BIBAK | 121-135 | |
| Ben Anderson; James L. Alty | |||
| This paper introduces the notion of everyday theories and outlines their
role in the design of human-computer interfaces. The paper provides a case
study of the use of techniques from cognitive anthropology in eliciting user's
everyday theories as an aid to system design. It concludes that cognitive
anthropology appears to offer valuable analytic tools for user-centred system
design; and that the relationship between researcher and informant in
anthropological investigations provides a useful model for the required
relationship between interface designer and potential user. Keywords: Cognitive anthropology, System design, Everyday theories | |||
| Metaphor Reflections and a Tool for Thought | | BIBAK | 137-150 | |
| Michael Smyth; Ben Anderson; James L. Alty | |||
| This paper introduces a model of metaphor at the human-computer interface
that is grounded in the psycho-linguistic literature. The utility of the model
is demonstrated in the course of the design and evaluation of a series of
prototype systems that use metaphor as a strategy for interface design. Based
on these experiences, a practical set of steps is presented which utilises the
model as a 'Tool for Thinking' about metaphor and its role at the
human-computer interface. Keywords: Metaphor, Interface design, Prototyping | |||
| Which Metaphor for Which Database? | | BIBAK | 151-165 | |
| Tiziana Catarci; Maria F. Costabile; Maristella Matera | |||
| The role of the users and their needs are now recognized in the database
community. Many efforts are devoted to improve the quality of the interaction
between the user and the database. For designing better interfaces that make
the systems more usable, the use of suitable metaphors is crucial. The problem
we address in this paper is whether an appropriate notion of metaphor can be
tailored to the database interaction, so reflecting the peculiarities and needs
of this specific field. Our argument originates from a recently published
paper that presents a formalism whose aim is to provide a framework for
flexible use, definition, and evaluation of visual metaphors in the specific
case of database schemata. By discussing such a paper, we try to clarify
concepts such as metaphor, data model, visual representation, etc. We also
highlight some peculiarities of the database interaction. The considerations
presented in this paper should constitute a basis towards a formal approach to
metaphorical design for database interaction. Keywords: Metaphor, Databases, Visual representations | |||
| A Model for Incremental Construction of Command Trees | | BIBAK | 169-179 | |
| Philippe P. Piernot; Marc P. Yvon | |||
| Application histories have been used for a variety of purposes including
error recovery, browsing past activities, macro recording and demonstrational
interfaces. However, in most systems the history is kept as a simple list of
primitive commands, which poorly reflects the user task structure. In this
paper we first present Command Trees, a richer representation of command
histories that offers better support for undo/redo mechanisms and programming
by demonstration. We then introduce a new model to support incremental
construction of command trees and an object-oriented application framework that
implements this model. An important property of this model is that it is
independent of the interaction modality, thus extending its purpose. Keywords: Command trees, Command parser, Undo/redo facilities, Demonstrational
interfaces | |||
| User Requirements for Undo Support in CSCW | | BIBAK | 181-193 | |
| Reza Hazemi; Linda Macaulay | |||
| The authors are concerned with developing generic GUI tools that can be used
to build user interfaces to CSCW systems. One feature of such a tool is the
provision of undo support. Current CSCW systems provide only limited support
for undo, where the developers of each system approach the problem according to
the needs of their own target users. A generic GUI tool would facilitate
building a number of CSCW user interfaces each with a different target user
group and potentially each with different requirements for undo support. The
paper presents an attempt to identify the generic user requirements for undo
support. Members of the HCI community were surveyed and asked their preference
for different types of undo support. Survey respondents agreed upon
requirements for undo support for single user systems but were unable to reach
a similar level of agreement for CSCW systems. None-the-less, the results point
to a number of generic requirements for undo support, and suggest a way
forward. Keywords: Graphical user interfaces (GUI), Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW),
Undo, Groupware, User interface design, Requirements | |||
| A Taxonomy and Evaluation of Formalisms for the Specification of Interactive Systems | | BIBAK | 197-212 | |
| Philippe Brun; Michel Beaudouin-Lafon | |||
| This paper presents a taxonomy and an evaluation of formalisms for HCI. The
taxonomy derives from the origins of the formalisms and is based on three main
categories: Cognitive Science, Calculus Theory, and the Theory of Categories.
The evaluation is based on an evaluation grid of twelve criteria structured
into three groups: Expressive Power, Generative Capabilities, and Extensibility
and Usability. Seventeen formalisms are evaluated with this method. The
results of the evaluation are discussed with respect to the taxonomy leading to
preliminary guidelines for the design of formalisms that better cover the needs
of HCI. Keywords: Taxonomy, Evaluation, Formal methods, Design methods | |||
| Formal Specification and Verification of CSCW using the Interactive Cooperative Object Formalism | | BIBAK | 213-231 | |
| Philippe Palanque; Remi Bastide | |||
| The state of the art in human-computer interaction is nowadays what is
commonly known as event-driven, direct manipulation interfaces (WIMP). The
event-driven nature of that kind of interface puts the dialogue control into
the hands of the user, and makes its specification, verification and
implementation very difficult. Groupware systems, allowing the active
cooperation of a group of users, make the problems even tougher because of the
data sharing and of the special dialogue structure needed to allow users
cooperation. This paper presents an architecture for groupware applications, a
formal specification technique allowing to describe both the mono-user dialogue
structure and the coordination of the cooperating users, and an analysis
technique allowing to validate the specification models. The approach is based
upon Cooperative Objects, a formalism integrating Petri Nets into the
Object-Oriented approach. Keywords: Formal methods, Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), Groupware, User
interface design, Petri nets | |||
| A Support Tool for the Conceptual Phase of Design | | BIBAK | 235-245 | |
| Ralph Stuyver; Jim Hennessey | |||
| The use of pen-and-paper sketching in the conceptual phase of design is
still the most popular way of working for designers. Computer tools are used
only in the later phases of the design process. This research is to determine
if these computer tools can be useful in the first phase as well, where
sketching plays an important role. Preliminary studies of how designers
conceptualise resulted in a list of functional requirements. These
requirements were used to develop a support tool for the conceptual phase of
design, called IDEATOR. It is based on LCD tablet technology and electronic
pen input. The first reactions of designers to IDEATOR have been very
encouraging. Currently it is still in a conceptual stage; the next step will
be to build a working prototype, which will be used for user testing. Keywords: Design support tool, Pen-based input, Interaction design, Conceptual design,
Sketching | |||
| Interactive Visualisation Artifacts: How can Abstractions Inform Design? | | BIBAK | 247-265 | |
| Lisa Tweedie | |||
| Interactive visualisation artifacts (IVAs) are complex applications that
allow users to manipulate, encode and organise data graphically. These systems
are difficult to design well. This paper argues that abstractions can be used
to evaluate such designs. These abstractions need to focus on the task and
artifact. This paper presents both qualitative abstractions of the task and a
semi-formal notation to describe IVAs (DIVA). Examples of this notation in use
are given and the insights that this provides are discussed. Keywords: Visualisation, User interface design, Interactive graphics | |||
| "I'll know what I want when I see it." -- Towards a Creative Assistant | | BIBAK | 267-278 | |
| Eric W. Tatham | |||
| This paper seeks to draw attention to the need for a new kind of interface,
that is geared specifically to aiding users who are working in a creative
domain where the goals are vague and perhaps only loosely specified at the
outset. Proposed, is the development of a constraint-based interface that
would provide an interactive environment in which users could generate and
manipulate successive layers of constraints in order to explore creative ideas.
It would differ most significantly from existing systems in that its
'perception' of input would be capable of introducing an element of creativity.
In such cases, its interpretation would not be wholly predictable or entirely
random but dependent on recognition of salient features and the ability to
construct analogous associations.
The paper identifies current work in the areas of constraint-based computation and analogy modelling that could provide the essential ingredients of a creative interface, outlining a possible basis for its realization. Keywords: Creativity, Creative interfaces, Intelligent interfaces, Adaptive
interfaces, Analogy, Constraints, Constraint-based interfaces, Music
composition | |||
| Computer Interviews: An Initial Investigation using Free Text Responses | | BIBAK | 281-288 | |
| D. Ramanee Peiris; Norman Alm; Peter Gregor | |||
| Computer interviews have been found to be a useful tool as a precursor to
face to face interviews. Some interviewees find it easier to reveal personal
or sensitive information to a computer than a human interviewer. Systems may
be limited by the use of multiple choice answers. Full natural language
understanding which would allow an interview to accurately follow the context
of the interviewee's answers is not currently available. A system was
developed to model human interviewer behaviour, but without the pretence of
intelligence. Users typed in their answers and were told that the system
pattern matched for keywords in order to present relevant subsequent questions.
Users found it as acceptable as multiple choice, and said they felt able to answer more truthfully using their own words. Keywords: Computer interviewing, Computer supported communication, Dialogue design,
Interview models, Pattern matching | |||
| What's the Flaming Problem? or Computer Mediated Communication -- Deindividuating or Disinhibiting? | | BIBAK | 289-302 | |
| Rosalind Dyer; Ruth Green; Marian Pitts; Gill Millward | |||
| Two studies were undertaken to determine the social psychological processes
underlying aggressive behaviours (flaming) in Computer Mediated Communication
(CMC). When compared to Face to Face (FTF) communication, statistically
significant differences in levels of public and private self-awareness were
observed. Earlier explanations involving deindividuation as the process
underlying flaming were discarded, and the theory of disinhibition applied. In
accordance with disinhibition theory, it was found that levels of flaming in
CMC could be significantly altered by manipulating levels of accountability
under experimental conditions. Keywords: Computer mediated communication (CMC), Flaming, Deindividuation,
Disinhibition, Self-awareness, Face to face communication (FTF) | |||
| Tight Coupling: Guiding User Actions in a Direct Manipulation Retrieval System | | BIBAK | 305-321 | |
| Christopher Ahlberg; Staffan Truve | |||
| Tight coupling is a strategy in the design of query mechanisms in direct
manipulation query systems. Tight coupling helps users navigate toward high
precision queries in a space of database queries, avoid empty query results,
and quickly narrow down the number of possible and meaningful queries. Tight
coupling of a query mechanism is defined as: the results of user operations
(querying, zooming, panning) on query devices (starfields, rangesliders,
alphasliders, and toggles) are reflected in all query devices by visual
feedback and physical constraints on meaningful query settings. An intuitive
design of tight coupling is presented, along with a formal description. The
design is based on a Model of Information Exploration -- MIE. An empirical
study in which subjects interacted with a tightly coupled interface to a
jobs/skills matching database confirms the power of tight coupling. Keywords: Information exploration, Visualisation, Dynamic queries, Database query,
Query refinement, Tight coupling | |||
| Are Visual Query Languages Easier to Use than Traditional Ones? An Experimental Proof | | BIBAK | 323-338 | |
| Tiziana Catarci; Giuseppe Santucci | |||
| The importance of designing query system which are effective and easy to use
has been widely recognized in the database area. Also, it is well known that
the adequacy of a system can be mainly tested against actual users in a well
settled experiment. However, very few such experiments have been conducted.
The overall objective of our study is to measure and understand the comparative
ease with which subjects can construct queries in either a novel visual query
language, namely QBD*, or a well-known traditional textual language such as
SQL. More specifically, we are interested in determining whether there is
significant interaction between: Keywords: Databases, Visual query languages, Usability tests | |||
| An Evaluation of Open Hypertext Features for Improved File Access | | BIBAK | 339-354 | |
| Jane M. Fritz; Ian D. Benest | |||
| Problem solving by end users is enhanced by ready access to relevant
information that may be spread across many file types. Profitable retrieval
would benefit from the inclusion of interrelationships between files. This
paper describes the design and prototype implementation of an open
hypertext-type enhancement to the Windows 3.1 file management system. It
provides the user with the ability to define an active file segment as a
hyperbase entry, stored with user-defined attribute values. Users are able to
configure their own active graphical maps of interrelated nodes, thus forming
link structures within a user's file system. Empirical studies suggests that
retrieval and browsing tasks are improved with these enhancements. Keywords: Hypertext, File management, Information retrieval, Visualisation, Utility,
Usability | |||
| The Notion of Task in Human-Computer Interaction | | BIBAK | 357-365 | |
| Graham Storrs | |||
| This brief paper attempts to define the term 'Task' for use in work on
human-computer interaction. The definition given relates the concepts of
'Goal', 'Action', 'State' and 'Context' and gives separate definitions for and
discusses each of these. While the primary focus is theoretical, an attempt is
made to give the implications of this definition for software development
practice. Keywords: Task analysis, Conceptual model, Theory | |||
| Applying a Structured Method for Usability Engineering to Domestic Energy Management User Requirements: A Successful Case-Study | | BIBAK | 367-385 | |
| Adam Stork; James Middlemass; John Long | |||
| MUSE, a structured Method for Usability Engineering, was created to improve
the practice of Human-Computer Interaction practitioners, a practice that is
primarily one of designing artefacts that fulfil user requirements. This paper
offers a case-study application of MUSE to a set of domestic energy management
user requirements to produce an artefact. The paper presents: an overview of
MUSE; the necessary features of an application; the user requirements; the
details of the application; the resulting artefact; and an assessment of the
artefact with respect to the user requirements. Finally, it is argued that
this case-study be considered 'successful', where a successful case-study
extends the known frontiers of application of MUSE. Keywords: Structured methods, Energy management systems, Planning and control,
Software engineering | |||
| Theories of Context Influence the System Abstractions Used to Design Interactive Systems | | BIBAK | 387-405 | |
| Gilbert Cockton; Steven Clarke; Philip Gray | |||
| There can be many relationships between theories of context and design
choices in interactive systems development. More specifically, a theory of
context may bias development towards certain classes of design option. We
illustrate this by examining Bødker's activity theory analysis of
footnote insertion in Microsoft Word. Bødker's focus on activity and
her 'handling' aspects of interaction seems to restrict her design options to
dialogue features. We present a different, domain-oriented analysis of
footnotes in Microsoft Word that focuses design on options for word processor
functionality. The differences need to be understood. A conjecture is posed
and elaborated. This conjecture suggests that there are unavoidably biased
interactions between contextual information and design spaces. The challenge
for designers is to exploit these biases rather than to eliminate them. We
propose that this can be achieved within a tool-based development process where
context and designs are given explicit comprehensive layered representations;
and are explicitly linked via design rationales. Without such representations
and links, the use of context will be unsystematic, variable in its
effectiveness, concentrated in the early stages of development, lost to the
longest life cycle phase of operation and maintenance, and (worst of all)
beyond assessment. Keywords: Literate development, Interactive systems development, Design rationale,
Requirements traceability, Context, Problem description, Activity theory,
Domain analysis, Design notations, Models of interactive systems | |||
| Can We Use Music in Computer-Human Communication? | | BIBAK | 409-423 | |
| James L. Alty | |||
| The audio channel has been somewhat neglected in Human Computer Interface
Design. It is a powerful channel which offers processing options often of a
complementary nature to the visual channel. Music makes the most complex and
sophisticated use of this channel and has well-organised techniques and
structures for disambiguating parallel time-dependent events. This paper
examines the contribution music might make to interface design and reports on
some preliminary investigations, which indicate that there does seem to be a
prima facie case for examining the subject further. Keywords: Auditory, I/O, Audiolisation, Music, Design, Multimodal interfaces | |||
| Red Faces over User Interfaces: What should Colour be used For? | | BIBAK | 425-435 | |
| Dan Diaper; P. S. Sahithi | |||
| One meaning of to have a red face in vernacular English is to be
embarrassed. This paper's message is ultimately a simple one and one that
those in HCI should be red faced about.
This paper proposes that User Interface (UI) designers have inadequately used many available UI display features. Far more, potentially useful information could be conveyed to users by the consistent use of UI features such as spatial location, motion, apparent depth, and colour. Due only to a shortage of space, this paper will use colour as an example, under exploited UI feature. It is concluded that both HCI knowledge and UID (UI Design) practice are inadequate at present with respect to the use of colour in UIs. An example high-level software design is offered to demonstrate one appropriate style of solution. Keywords: User interface design, Design principles, Redesign or prototyping, Colour
user interfaces, Conventions as standards | |||