| Generalization, Consistency, and Control | | BIBAK | 1-5 | |
| Clayton Lewis; D. Charles Hair; Victor Schoenberg | |||
| Easy learning of a user interface depends in part on users being able to
generalize successfully about it. Philosophical doctrine, and some recent work
in human-computer interaction, argues that causal analysis of interactions can
support generalization. But neither the philosophical literature nor the HCI
literature provides a rigorous theory of causal analysis adequate for problems
in human-computer interaction. We propose such a rigorous theory here, and
show how it accounts for two robust generalizations, using certain general
assumptions. We then present evidence that these assumptions are accepted by
people. Finally we compare this theory with other treatments of consistency. Keywords: Causal analysis, Consistency | |||
| Artifact as Theory-Nexus: Hermeneutics Meet Theory-Based Design | | BIBAK | 7-14 | |
| John M. Carroll; Wendy A. Kellogg | |||
| We suggest that HCI designs characteristically embody multiple, distinct
psychological claims, that virtually every aspect of a system's usability is
overdetermined by independent psychological rationales inherent in its design.
These myriad claims cohere in being implemented together in a running system.
Thus, HCI artifacts themselves are perhaps the most effective medium for theory
development in HCI. We advance a framework for articulating the psychological
claims embodied by artifacts. This proposal reconciles the contrasting
perspectives of theory-based design and hermeneutics, and clarifies the
apparent paradox of HCI application leading HCI theory. Keywords: Theory, Design, Task analysis | |||
| Programmable User Models for Predictive Evaluation of Interface Designs | | BIBAK | 15-19 | |
| Richard M. Young; T. R. G. Green; Tony Simon | |||
| A Programmable User Model (PUM) is a psychologically constrained
architecture which an interface designer is invited to program to simulate a
user performing a range of tasks with a proposed interface. It provides a
novel way of conveying psychological considerations to the designer, by
involving the designer in the process of making predictions of usability.
Development of the idea leads to a complementary perspective, of the PUM as an
interpreter for an "instruction language". The methodology used in this
research involves the use of concrete HCI scenarios to assess different
approaches to cognitive modelling. The research findings include analyses of
the cognitive processes involved in the use of interactive computer systems,
and a number of issues to be resolved in future cognitive models. Keywords: User models, Predictive evaluation, Interface design | |||
| Experience with Contextual Field Research | | BIB | 21-24 | |
| Michael Good; Robert Campbell; Gene Lynch; Peter Wright | |||
| Color in User Interface Design: Functionality and Aesthetics | | BIB | 25-27 | |
| Aaron Marcus; William B. Cowan; Wanda Smith | |||
| LIZA: An Extensible Groupware Toolkit | | BIBAK | 29-35 | |
| S. J. Gibbs | |||
| Software for supporting groups of cooperating users -- groupware -- raises a
number of new issues in user interface design. This paper gives a definition
of groupware and presents a model of group tools based on active objects. The
model has been applied to the design and implementation of an extensible
groupware toolkit known as LIZA. The paper describes the architecture of LIZA.
Examples of group tools running under LIZA are used to illustrate some of the
problems in the design of multi-user interfaces. Keywords: Collaborative work, Cooperative work, Multi-user interfaces, Group
interfaces, Active objects, Interface toolkits | |||
| Collaboration in KMS, A Shared Hypermedia System | | BIBAK | 37-42 | |
| Elise Yoder; Robert Akscyn; Donald McCracken | |||
| This paper describes how we use a hypermedia system (KMS) for our
collaborative work. Based on our experience with KMS and our previous research
with the ZOG system at Carnegie Mellon University, we believe that a
shared-database hypermedia system provides a powerful foundation for
collaboration. In this paper, we show how the shared-database capability of
KMS, plus particular aspects of its data model, address six of the fundamental
issues facing designers of collaborative work systems. Keywords: Collaborative work, Conceptual data model, Hypermedia, Hypertext | |||
| The Effects of Bargaining Orientation and Communication Medium on Negotiations in the Bilateral Monopoly Task: A Comparison of Decision Room and Computer Conferencing Communication Media | | BIBAK | 43-48 | |
| Jim Sheffield | |||
| Pairs of subjects with either a competitive or an integrative bargaining
orientation completed the Bilateral Monopoly Task in one of four communication
media (text-only, text-plus-visual-access, audio-only, and
audio-plus-visual-access). As hypothesized, an integrative bargaining
orientation and/or an audio mode of communication led to a higher joint
outcome. In addition, visual access resulted in higher joint outcomes for
subjects with integrative bargaining orientations, but lower joint outcomes for
those with competitive orientations. The support for negotiation offered by
decision room and computer conferencing technologies is compared based on the
efficiency and richness of the communication media available in each. Keywords: Communication media, Negotiation support systems, Decision rooms, Computer
conferencing | |||
| Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado at Boulder | | BIB | 49-50 | |
| Gerhard Fischer; Stephanie Doane | |||
| What is EuroPARC? | | BIB | 51-52 | |
| Thomas P. Moran | |||
| Intelligent Interfaces Group, NYNEX Science and Technology Center | | BIB | 53-54 | |
| Michael E. Atwood | |||
| Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center | | BIB | 55-56 | |
| Marianne Rudisill; Douglas J. Gillan | |||
| Inducing Programs in a Direct-Manipulation Environment | | BIBAK | 57-62 | |
| David L. Maulsby; Ian H. Witten | |||
| End users who need to program within highly interactive direct-manipulation
interfaces should be able to communicate their intentions through concrete
demonstration rather than in terms of symbolic abstraction. This paper
describes a system that learns procedures in interactive graphics taught to it
"by example" by minimally trained users. It shows how techniques of machine
learning and reactive interfaces can support one another-the former providing
generalization heuristics to identify constraints implicit in user actions, the
latter offering immediate feedback to help the user clarify hidden constraints
and correct errors before they are planted into the procedure. The teacher's
attention is focused on the learning system's perceptual and inferential
shortcomings through a metaphorical apprentice called Metamouse, which
generalizes action sequences on the fly and eagerly carries out any actions it
can predict. The success of the induction process is assessed quantitatively
by counting erroneous predictions made during example tasks. Keywords: End-user programming, Programming by example, Induction | |||
| A System for Example-Based Programming | | BIBAK | 63-68 | |
| Lisa Rubin Neal | |||
| We present an approach to programming environments that integrates
syntax-directed editors with concepts borrowed from software reuse. We call
our approach example-based programming, and we define it as programming using
examples as visual aids or to fully or partially copy into programs. To
implement an example-based programming environment, we augmented a
syntax-directed editor with a window for example programs. The example
programs, which are easily accessible, can be used as examples of language
constructs, thus providing syntactic information through instantiations of
templates, or as examples of algorithms or programs. The code in the example
window can be viewed, totally or partially copied, or run. We discuss the
motivation for example-based programming, describe our system implementing
example-based programming in greater depth, and report on the results of an
experiment to see how the system is used by programmers. Keywords: Programming environments, Syntax-directed editors, Software reuse, Examples | |||
| Some Strategies of Reuse in an Object-Oriented Programming Environment | | BIBAK | 69-73 | |
| Beth M. Lange; Thomas G. Moher | |||
| In a single-subject study of a software developer working in an
object-oriented programming environment, we found evidence of a development
style characterized by pervasive software reuse. The subject employed regular
strategies for template selection and coding in her work, and avoided
techniques requiring deep understanding of code details or symbolic execution
whenever possible. Within the limits of the design of the study, the subject's
performance is related to attributes of object-oriented programming and our
interpretation of the mature mental model with which she approached her task. Keywords: Programming strategies, Object-oriented programming, Inheritance,
Reusability | |||
| A Spreadsheet Interface for Logic Programming | | BIBAK | 75-80 | |
| Michael Spenke; Christian Beilken | |||
| We present PERPLEX, a programming environment intended for the end-user. In
its design, the concepts of logic programming and spreadsheets are combined.
Thus, on the one hand, logic programming becomes an interactive, incremental
task where the user gets direct visual feedback, on the other hand,
functionality and scope of a conventional spreadsheet program are considerably
extended. In order to perform calculations and queries, constraints are
imposed on the contents of the spreadsheet cells. New predicates can be
defined using a programming-by-example technique: Rules are extracted from the
user's solutions for example problems. Thus, concrete intermediate results
take over the role of abstract logic variables in the programming process.
PERPLEX has been successfully implemented on a Symbolics Lisp Machine. Keywords: End-user programming, Programming by example, Logic programming, Graphical
user-interface, Constraints, Spreadsheet, Database queries | |||
| On-Line Tutorials: What Kind of Inference Leads to the Most Effective Learning? | | BIBAK | 81-83 | |
| John B. Black; J. Scott Bechtold; Marco Mitrani; John M. Carroll | |||
| This paper presents an empirical study comparing the effectiveness of four
different versions of an on-line database tutorial, each of which calls upon
the student to perform a different kind of inference. The general-to-specific
version presents instructions in the form of general rules, from which the
students expected to infer how to apply the rule in the given context. The
explanation-to-specific version supplies information about the functional
organization of the database program in addition to general rules. The
specific-to-specific condition gives an example of the use of a command; the
student must infer how to apply the command in a slightly different context.
The control version gives explicit instructions. The best performance on a
post-test consisting of realistic tasks was obtained from the
general-to-specific and explanation-to-specific conditions. Keywords: Learning, Instruction, Manual design | |||
| How Some Advice Fails | | BIBAK | 85-90 | |
| William C. Hill | |||
| Video data for thirty-four cases of advice seeking, giving and following
behavior at a graphical computer interface were analyzed in detail. The
evidence indicated that clients followed prescriptive advice effectively and
efficiently in slightly more than half the cases. For other cases, clients
performed twice as many actions as needed in three times as much time and never
reached prescribed states. A hypothesis that observed advice following
difficulties were correlated with advice abstractness was not supported.
Rather, it seems advice did not match well with clients' knowledge of the
system in particular isolated details. Keywords: Advising, Collaboration, Hidden operator | |||
| Responding to "Huh?": Answering Vaguely Articulated Follow-Up Questions | | BIBAK | 91-96 | |
| Johanna D. Moore | |||
| Expert and advice-giving systems produce complex multi-sentential responses
to user's queries. Results from analyses of novice/expert dialogues indicate
that novices often do not understand an expert's response and rarely ask a
well-formulated follow-up question. Thus systems must be able to provide
further information in response to vaguely articulated questions. However,
current systems cannot clarify misunderstood explanations or elaborate on
previous explanations. In this paper we describe an approach to explanation
generation that expands a system's explanatory capabilities and enables the
production of clarifying or elaborating explanations in response to follow-up
questions or indication that the explanation was not understood. Keywords: Question-answering systems, Discourse analysis, Text generation | |||
| Protecting User Interfaces Through Copyright: The Debate | | BIBAK | 97-103 | |
| Pamela Samuelson | |||
| This paper will provide an overview of the legal controversy about the
extent of copyright protection that is appropriate for software user
interfaces. The controversy reflects different views of how traditional
principles of copyright law should be applied to software. After a brief
introduction to copyright principles, the paper will set forth an argument for
maximal copyright protection for software user interfaces, and then an argument
for minimal copyright protection for user interfaces. Both arguments apply
copyright principles; they simple draw on different parts of copyright doctrine
in doing so. The paper does not aim to resolve the debate, but only to
familiarize the user interface design community of the legal context in which
the debate is taking place. Keywords: Copyright, Intellectual property, Lawsuits, "Look and feel," Patents | |||
| Protecting User Interfaces Through Copyright Law | | BIB | 104 | |
| Pamela Samuelson; Jack E. Brown; Thomas M. S. Hemnes; Michael E. Lesk | |||
| Drama and Personality in User Interface Design | | BIBA | 105-108 | |
| S. Joy Mountford; Bill Buxton; Myron Krueger; Brenda Laurel; Laurie Vertelney | |||
| The title of this panel immediately leaps out as being out of place. Of all the things that come to mind when one thinks of computers and user interfaces, drama and personality are among the last. The point here is not to make using computers more dramatic, per se, but to learn and borrow from the performing arts about techniques that could improve main stream interface design. The contributions described in this panel are borrowed from the theatrical world, film producing and music. In all the panelists work, the user is at the very center of creating the actual user interface experience, either through direct user participation or via engaging the individual viewer's personality. The panelists' pioneering research has produced and created several examples of new user interface experiences and designs. The discussion will focus on what techniques offer the most promise for facilitating the design of really new experiential user interfaces. | |||
| Cumulating the Science of HCI: From S-R Compatibility to Transcription Typing | | BIBAK | 109-114 | |
| Bonnie E. John; Allen Newell | |||
| In keeping with our claim that an applied psychology of HCI must be based on
cumulative work within a unified framework, we present two extensions of the
Model Human Processor. A model of immediate response behavior and
stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility is presented and extended to a new
domain: transcription typing. Parameters are estimated using one S-R
compatibility experiment, used to make a priori predictions in four other S-R
compatibility tasks, and then carried over into the area of typing. A model of
expert transcription typing is described and its prediction of typing phenomena
is demonstrated and summarized. Keywords: User models, Cognitive models, GOMS, Model human processor | |||
| Learning and Transfer of Measurement Tasks | | BIBAK | 115-120 | |
| Adrienne Y. Lee; Peter G. Polson; Wayne A. Bailey | |||
| This study presents a theoretically motivated analysis of learning and
performance on a micro-processor based oscilloscope. An analysis of the
knowledge required to make basic measurements was done using the GOMS model and
Cognitive Complexity Theory (CCT). From these analyses and the criterion used
in Polson, Muncher, and Engelbeck (1986), tasks were selected for an experiment
evaluating training order manipulations using naive users of oscilloscopes.
Production system models for each training task were derived from CCT. The
models successfully predicted transfer between tasks and training order
effects. Implications for the design of systems with embedded micro-processors
are discussed. Keywords: GOMS, Cognitive complexity theory, Micro-processor based test instruments,
Oscilloscopes, Transfer | |||
| Skilled Financial Planning: The Cost of Translating Ideas into Action | | BIBAK | 121-126 | |
| F. Javier Lerch; Marilyn M. Mantei; Judith R. Olson | |||
| We use GOMS models to predict error rates and mental times for translating
financial concepts into equations in two widely used interface representations.
The first of these, common to spreadsheet packages, is characterized by
non-mnemonic naming and absolute referencing of variables. The second, common
to non-procedural command-driven software, is characterized by mnemonic naming
conventions and relative referencing of variables. These predictions were
tested in an experiment using experienced financial analysts. Although the
interface that allows mnemonic and relative names (called keyword) takes longer
overall, it produces seventy-five percent fewer simple errors and requires less
mental effort. Given the overall serious cost of errors in financial models,
we conclude that interfaces having the keyword representation are far superior. Keywords: GOMS models, Skilled financial planning, Error analysis | |||
| A Case Study of User Interface Management System Development and Application | | BIBAK | 127-132 | |
| Jerry M. Manheimer; Rodney C. Burnett; Jo Ann Wallers | |||
| This paper discusses the design and applications of an object-oriented user
interface management system (UIMS). Specifically, the Lockheed User Interface
System (LUIS) is described. LUIS is based on a user interface model that
includes declarative and procedural components. The package has been used by
both non-programmers and programmers in several applications at Lockheed.
Experiences derived from applications of the package are used to address
several key issues in the UIMS field, such as procedural versus declarative
specification, separation of the user interface from applications, UIMS
flexibility, and UIMS support for design evaluation. Keywords: User interface management systems, Rapid prototyping, User interface
evaluation, Task analysis | |||
| A High-Level User Interface Management System | | BIBAK | 133-138 | |
| Gurminder Singh; Mark Green | |||
| A high-level UIMS which automatically generates the lexical and syntactic
design of graphical user interfaces is presented. The interfaces generated by
the UIMS can easily and rapidly be refined by the designer by using highly
interactive and graphical facilities. The UIMS accepts a high-level
description of the semantic commands supported by the application, a
description of the implementation device, and optionally, the end user's
preferences. Based on these inputs the UIMS generates graphical user
interfaces in which the commands are selected from menus and command arguments
are provided through interaction with graphical interaction techniques. Keywords: Graphical user interfaces, User interface design, User interface management
system | |||
| Graphical Specification of User Interfaces with Behavior Abstraction | | BIBAK | 139-144 | |
| John F. DeSoi; William M. Lively; Sallie V. Sheppard | |||
| The Application Display Generator (ADG) is a graphical environment for the
design and implementation of embedded system user interfaces. It is a major
component of the Graphical Specification Subsystem (GSS) in Lockheed's Express
knowledge-based software development environment. ADG gives non-programmers
simple and flexible methods for graphically specifying the presentation and
behavior of embedded system user interfaces. In the ADG methodology arbitrary
presentations are attached to abstract object behaviors. This approach makes
it possible to provide unconstrained presentations, intelligent user support,
rapid prototyping, and flexible facilities for composing complex objects. Keywords: Graphic interface, Rapid prototyping, User interface management system,
Visual programming | |||
| Center for Coordination Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | | BIB | 145-146 | |
| Thomas W. Malone | |||
| CHI Research at MCC | | BIB | 147-149 | |
| Jim Hollan; Bill Curtis | |||
| Cognitive Science and Machine Intelligence Laboratory, The University of Michigan | | BIB | 151-152 | |
| Gary M. Olson | |||
| The Ergonomics Psychology Protect at INRIA | | BIB | 153-154 | |
| Andre Bisseret | |||
| Bat Brushes: On the Uses of Six Position and Orientation Parameters in a Paint Program | | BIBAK | 155-160 | |
| Colin Ware; Curtis Baxter | |||
| A geometry is described for converting hand position and orientation into
six useful variables for computer input. The application is that of
controlling form and color in an experimental computer "paint" program. We
find that the most easily controlled parameters of hand placement are x, y and
z cartesian coordinates and a twist parameter which approximates the wrist
action that occurs when a dial is turned.
The two remaining parameters are horizontal and vertical wrist rotations. In order to capture these it is necessary to correct for the rotation about the elbow which naturally occurs when the hand is translated. However, these two parameters are difficult to control independently of hand translations. Computer paint "brushes" are described which allow the real-time control of size, color and position on the screen using the hand parameters described. Keywords: Input devices, Paint program | |||
| Circling: A Method of Mouse-Based Selection Without Button Presses | | BIBAK | 161-166 | |
| Jeffrey C. Jackson; Renate J. Roske-Hofstrand | |||
| A method for selecting graphical objects with a mouse by circling them is
described. Circling motions are detected automatically; no button presses are
required. Trials conducted on a Sun 3 workstation indicate that, for the
object size and layout chosen, even users experienced with mouse selection via
button presses and unfamiliar with circling are able to select pairs of objects
in approximately the same amount of time with either method. The number of
target misses between circling and clicking also compare well for both single
and paired object cases. Furthermore, many users showed a measurable
preference for the circling method when given a choice. Keywords: Human-computer interaction, Computer graphics, Selection techniques,
Circling, Gesture recognition, Air traffic control | |||
| Systemic Implications of Leap and an Improved Two-Part Cursor: A Case Study | | BIBAK | 167-170 | |
| Jef Raskin | |||
| The lowly text cursor is a non-issue for most interface designers.
Nonetheless, current text cursor designs suffer from at least two problems:
one-off errors and a lack of visibility of function. These problems are
exacerbated in an editing environment which uses the extremely fast Leap
cursor-moving technology.
This paper presents solutions to these cursor design problems and reveals the surprising way many other aspects of system design can be improved as a consequence of designing the cursor correctly. Keywords: Cursor, Dual cursor, Mouse, Leap, Text editor, Word processor, User
interface, Blind | |||
| A Programming Language Basis for User Interface Management | | BIBAK | 171-176 | |
| Dan R., Jr. Olsen | |||
| The Mickey UIMS maps the user interface style and techniques of the Apple
Macintosh onto the declarative constructs of Pascal. The relationships between
user interfaces and the programming language control the interface generation.
This imposes some restrictions on the possible styles of user interfaces but
greatly enhances the usability of the UIMS. Keywords: User interface management systems, User interface specifications, User
interface generation | |||
| Statemaster: A UIMS Based on Statecharts for Prototyping and Target Implementation | | BIBAK | 177-182 | |
| Pierre D. Wellner | |||
| Most User Interface Management systems are state based and some use state
transition diagrams for dialog specification. Although these diagrams have
significant advantages, they suffer from drawbacks that make them impractical
for the specification of complex user interfaces. Statecharts are a
hierarchical extension of state transition diagrams and are well suited for
specification of complex user interface dialogs. Statemaster is a UIMS
implemented in C++ that uses statecharts for dialog specification. It has been
successfully used both for rapid prototyping and target implementation of user
interfaces. This paper describes the use of statecharts for dialog
specification and the implementation of Statemaster. Keywords: UIMS, User interface, State diagrams, Statecharts, Visual programming, Rapid
prototyping | |||
| Task-Oriented Representation of Asynchronous User Interfaces | | BIBAK | 183-188 | |
| Antonio C. Siochi; H. Rex Hartson | |||
| A simple, task-oriented notation for describing user actions in asynchronous
user interfaces is introduced. This User Action Notation (UAN) allows the easy
association of actions with feedback and system state changes as part of a set
of asynchronous interface design techniques, by avoiding the verbosity and
potential vagueness of prose. Use within an actual design and implementation
project showed the UAN to be expressive, concise, and highly readable because
of its simplicity. The task- and user-oriented techniques are naturally
asynchronous and a good match for object-oriented implementation. Levels of
abstraction are readily applied to allow definition of primitive tasks for
sharing and reusability and to allow hiding of details for chunking. The UAN
provides a critical articulation point, bridging the gap between the task
viewpoint of the behavioral domain and the event-driven nature of the
object-oriented implementational domain. The potential for UAN task
description analysis may address some of the difficulties in developing
asynchronous interfaces, Keywords: Notation, Interface design representation, Asynchronous user interfaces,
Task-orientation, User actions, Task description analysis | |||
| Recent Progress Creating Environments with the Sense of Feel: Giving "Look and Feel" Its Missing Meaning | | BIBA | 189-190 | |
| Margaret Minsky; Fred Brooks; Max Behensky; Doug Milliken; Massimo Russo; Allison Druin | |||
| Several projects have made progress recently in integrating force feedback and the use of touch sensation into computing-based environments. These projects partake of the spirit of creating virtual worlds, fantasy or simulation environments that combine the emotional power of touch interfaces with the computational power of abstraction. | |||
| Innovation in User Interface Development: Obstacles and Opportunities | | BIBAK | 191-195 | |
| Steven E. Poltrock | |||
| Case studies of two software development organizations suggest that common
practices of these organizations pose obstacles to innovation. Although
software development organizations have good reasons to be conservative and
resist innovation, they recognize the importance of innovations to the
competitiveness of their products. But organizations experienced at
development of regularly scheduled releases are not well suited to development
of innovations. In this research investigators worked with the user interface
teams in two organizations while interviewing people throughout the
organizations. Both organizations developed prototypes, but only small design
changes were prototyped and tested early in development. Innovative changes
were evaluated late, when resistance to iteration was great. User interface
designs and prototypes were often not shown to users. Mechanisms for
coordinating development were another conservative influence. Both
organizations successfully overcame these obstacles by departing from
established practices. Keywords: Empirical studies, User interface design, User interface development,
Innovation | |||
| User Interface Design in Large Corporations: Coordination and Communication Across Disciplines | | BIBAK | 197-203 | |
| Jonathan Grudin; Steven E. Poltrock | |||
| This report describes some of the results of a survey constructed to address
the multidisciplinary, collaborative nature of user interface design as it is
practiced in large software development organizations today. Survey forms were
prepared for Software Engineers, Human Factors Engineers, Industrial Design
Engineers, Technical Writers, Training Developers, and Marketing
representatives. The survey was filled out by over 200 designers from multiple
sites within 7 large companies. Previous interview studies of user interface
design have relied on far smaller samples taken primarily from single
organizations, and have focused on the individual designer's perspective,
primarily that of programmers or software engineers. While surveys have
limitations as information-gathering tools, the findings in this report suggest
specific places where organizational change or tool development might improve
the coordination or communication among the different professionals and
managers who contribute to interface design in large company settings. Keywords: Organization, Design, Coordination, Communication, User interface | |||
| Behavioral Evaluation and Analysis of a Hypertext Browser | | BIBAK | 205-210 | |
| Dennis E. Egan; Joel R. Remde; Thomas K. Landauer; Carol C. Lochbaum; Louis M. Gomez | |||
| Students performed a variety of tasks using a statistics text presented
either in conventional printed form or via the text browser "SuperBook" (Remde,
Gomez and Landauer [18]). Students using SuperBook answered more search
questions correctly, wrote higher quality "open-book" essays, and recalled
certain incidental information better than students using the conventional
text. Subjective ratings overwhelmingly favored SuperBook. The advantage of
SuperBook appears to be particularly strong for questions that are not
anticipated by the author's organization of a text. Keywords: Hypertext, Text retrieval, Learning, Documentation, Browser | |||
| How Do Experienced Information Lens Users Use Rules? | | BIBAK | 211-216 | |
| Wendy E. Mackay; Thomas W. Malone; Kevin Crowston; Ramana Rao; David Rosenblitt; Stuart K. Card | |||
| The Information Lens provides electronic mail users with the ability to
write rules that automatically sort, select, and filter their messages. This
paper describes preliminary results from an eighteen-month investigation of the
use of this system at a corporate test site. We report the experiences of 13
voluntary users who have each had at least three months experience with the
most recent version of the system. We found that:
1. People without significant computer experience are able to create and use
rules effectively. 2. Useful rules can be created based on the fields present in all messages (e.g., searching for distribution lists or one's own name in the address fields or for character strings in the subject field), even without any special message templates. 3. People use rules both to prioritize messages before reading them and to sort messages into folders for storage after reading them. 4. People use delete rules primarily to filter out messages from low-priority distribution lists, not to delete personal messages to themselves. Keywords: Information Lens, Rules, Filtering, Electronic mail | |||
| Performance, Preference, and Visual Scan Patterns on a Menu-Based System: Implications for Interface Design | | BIBAK | 217-222 | |
| Jeffrey J. Hendrickson | |||
| This study was conducted to provide evidence for the nature of visual search
processes with menus, and to derive design principles for menu-based natural
language (MBNL) interfaces to databases. The effects of window size, window
activity, and query length were investigated. It was found that longer queries
were performed faster with single active windows, but multiple active windows
were rated as more 'natural'. Query times increased with query length, as did
eye fixation frequencies, fixation durations, and dwell times. Errors were
most likely to occur on the longest query. Fixation durations also varied with
window size. However, visual behavior depended on the area being viewed and on
the interaction between window activity and query length. In contrast with
previous studies, it was also found that menus were not scanned randomly.
However, scanpaths were less deterministic with multiple active windows and
became even more unconstrained as query length increased. User interface
design recommendations were derived from the findings. Keywords: Menus, Menu-based systems, Natural language, Eyetracking, Visual search | |||
| "My User Interface is the Best Because..." | | BIB | 223-225 | |
| A. Brady Farrand; Tom Erickson; Tony Hoeber; Bill Parkhurst; Ted Wilson | |||
| Synergistic Use of Direct Manipulation and Natural Language | | BIBAK | 227-233 | |
| Philip R. Cohen; Mary Dalrymple; Douglas B. Moran; Fernando C. N. Pereira; Joseph W. Sullivan; Robert A., Jr. Gargan; Jon L. Schlossberg; Sherman W. Tyler | |||
| This paper shows how the integration of natural language with direct
manipulation produces a multimodal interface that overcomes limitations of
these techniques when used separately. Natural language helps direct
manipulation in being able to specify objects and actions by description, while
direct manipulation enables users to learn which objects and actions are
available in the system. Furthermore, graphical rendering and manipulation of
context provides a partial solution to difficult problems of natural language
anaphora. Keywords: User interfaces, Natural language, Direct manipulation | |||
| A Synthetic Visual Environment with Hand Gesturing and Voice Input | | BIBAK | 235-240 | |
| David Weimer; S. K. Ganapathy | |||
| This paper describes a practical synthetic visual environment for use in CAD
and teleoperation. Instead of using expensive head mounted display systems, we
use a standard display and compute smooth shaded images using an AT&T Pixel
Machine. The interface uses a VPL DataGlove [9] to track the hand, bringing
the synthetic world into the same space as the hand. Hand gesturing is used to
implement a virtual control panel, and some 3D modeling tasks. When simple
speech recognition was added it markedly improved the interface. We also
outline what extensions might be needed for using this kind of interface for
teleoperation. Keywords: Computer graphics, Computer-aided design, Teleoperation, Speech recognition,
Hand gesturing, Three-dimensional interaction | |||
| Speech and Gestures for Graphic Image Manipulation | | BIBAK | 241-245 | |
| Alexander G. Hauptmann | |||
| An experiment was conducted with people using gestures and speech to
manipulate graphic images on a computer screen. A human was substituted for
the recognition devices. The analysis showed that people strongly prefer to
use both gestures and speech for the graphics manipulation and that they
intuitively use multiple hands and multiple fingers in all three dimensions.
There was surprising uniformity and simplicity in the gestures and speech. The
analysis of these results provides strong encouragement for future development
of integrated multi-modal interaction systems. Keywords: Gestures, Speech, Manipulation, Input, Graphics | |||
| Design Rationale: The Argument Behind the Artifact | | BIBAK | 247-252 | |
| Allan MacLean; Richard M. Young; Thomas P. Moran | |||
| We assert that the product of user interface design should be not only the
interface itself but also a rationale for why the interface is the way it is.
We describe a representation for design based around a semi-formal notation
which allows us explicitly to represent alternative design options and reasons
for choosing among them. We illustrate the approach with examples from an
analysis of scrolling mechanisms. We discuss the roles we expect such a
representation to play in improving the coherence of designs and in
communicating reasons for choices to others, whether designers, maintainers,
collaborators or end users. Keywords: Design rationale, User interface design, Problem solving, Design capture,
Tailorability, Notations, Knowledge base | |||
| Conversational Resources for Situated Action | | BIBAK | 253-258 | |
| David M. Frohlich; Paul Luff | |||
| Suchman (1987) has recently drawn attention to the situated nature of human
social action and its implications for the design of interactive computer
systems. In particular, she has highlighted the shortcomings of globally
managing human computer dialogues by matching user actions to some idealised
plan for carrying out a task. In this paper we outline a scheme for the local
management of dialogues based on the findings of conversation analysis. The
scheme makes available a variety of communicative resources to both user and
system, including the ability to give and take turns at talk, to initiate and
carry out repair work, and to continue or change the topic of conversation. An
implementation of the scheme in a welfare rights Advice System is described. Keywords: Local management, Conversation analysis, Expert systems, Situated action,
Dialogue design | |||
| Prototyping Techniques for Different Problem Contexts | | BIBAK | 259-264 | |
| Oscar Gutierrez | |||
| Rapid prototyping and other experimental techniques are playing an
increasingly important role in software development. Some common issues that
concern their adoption are identifying the place in a system's life cycle where
they may be appropriate, and selecting which tools to use. This paper presents
a model of different problem types, suggesting that a fit must be found between
the nature of the problem at hand and the features associated with available
techniques. Emphasis is placed on the fact that most commercial tools are
suitable for only certain problem types. Some areas of further development are
highlighted and implications concerning human-computer interaction discussed. Keywords: Experimental techniques, Information systems development, Rapid prototyping,
Requirements analysis | |||
| The Role of Laboratory Experiments in HCI: Help, Hindrance, or Ho-Hum? | | BIB | 265-268 | |
| Catherine G. Wolf; John M. Carroll; Thomas K. Landauer; Bonnie E. John; John Whiteside | |||
| Design Environments for Constructive and Argumentative Design | | BIBAK | 269-275 | |
| Gerhard Fischer; Raymond McCall; Anders Morch | |||
| Design Environments are computer systems which support design by enabling
cooperative problem solving between designer and computer. There are two
complementary problem solving activities in design: constructive design and
argumentative design. We have created two computer-supported environments,
CRACK and VIEWPOINTS, to support these two activities.
CRACK is a knowledge-based critic which has knowledge about how kitchen appliances can be assembled into functional kitchens. VIEWPOINTS is a hypertext system based on the IBIS design methodology and contains useful information about the principles of kitchen design. The integration of these two types of systems will eliminate shortcomings of the individual systems. Keywords: Intelligent support systems, Design environments, Construction kits, Human
problem-domain communication, Knowledge-based systems, Critics, Hypertext,
Issue-based information systems, Kitchen design | |||
| Generating Highly Interactive User Interfaces | | BIBAK | 277-282 | |
| Charles Wiecha; William Bennett; Stephen Boies; John Gould | |||
| Developers of User Interface Management Systems (UIMS) have demonstrated
that separating the application from its user interface supports device
independence and customization. Interfaces produced in UIMS are typically
crafted by designers expert in human factors and graphic arts. Little
attention has been paid, however, to capturing the knowledge of such experts so
that interfaces might be automatically generated by the application of style
rules to additional applications. This paper considers how toolkits and style
rules can be structured so that the resulting interfaces take advantage of the
best human factors and graphic arts knowledge, and are consistently styled. Keywords: User interface management systems, Interface consistency, Graphic interfaces | |||
| Directed Dialogue Protocols: Verbal Data for User Interface Design | | BIBAK | 283-287 | |
| Stephen T. Knox; Wayne A. Bailey; Eugene F. Lynch | |||
| The development of an interface design tool called "directed dialogue
protocols" is discussed. The tool is based upon Kato's (1986) method of verbal
data collection, "question-asking protocols." Three extensions to the
question-asking method are detailed: 1) an experimental procedure of atomic
tasks which facilitate the quantization of verbal data; 2) interventions by the
experimenter that probe the subject's expectations and prompt verbalizations;
and 3) a technique for answering subject queries called sequential disclosure.
Also discussed are applications of the directed dialogue that have identified
design choices which build learnability and usability into a product's
user-interface. Keywords: Usability, Learnability, Verbal data, Question-asking protocol,
User-interface design | |||
| Conversational Hypertext: Information Access Through Natural Language Dialogues with Computers | | BIBAK | 289-292 | |
| Thomas Whalen; Andrew Patrick | |||
| One need not create a natural language understanding system in order to
create a hypertext data base that can be traversed with unconstrained natural
language. The task is simplified because the computer creates a constrained
context, imposes a non-negotiable topic, and elicits simple questions. Two
small hypertext data bases describing the authors' organization and the terms
and rules of baseball were implemented on an IBM PC. When ten untrained people
were allowed to search through these data bases, 59 per cent of their queries
were answered correctly by the first data base and 64 per cent by the second. Keywords: Hypertext, Information retrieval, Natural language interface | |||
| Transforming Text into Hypertext for a Compact Disc Encyclopedia | | BIBAK | 293-298 | |
| Robert J. Glushko | |||
| A hypertext version of a multi-volume engineering encyclopedia on a compact
disc is described. The methods for characterizing the explicit and implicit
structure of the document, the novel user interface to the compact disc
version, and the design and development lessons that apply to any hypertext
project involving realistic amounts of text and graphics are discussed. Keywords: Browsing, CD-ROM, Compact disc, Documents, Encyclopedia, Hypermedia,
Hypertext, Searching, Text | |||
| The Tourist Artificial Reality | | BIBA | 299-304 | |
| Kim Fairchild; Greg Meredith; Alan Wexelblat | |||
| This paper describes a prototype system designed to meet the needs of the next generation of user interfaces. We address research questions of information complexity, multiple shared semantically-oriented views, and customizable tool environments. Our domain of interest is software systems that require interfaces for teams of people to large bodies of design artifacts. This prototype is built around the metaphor of tourists and tour guides. | |||
| Human-Computer Interaction Department, Hewlett-Packard Laboratories | | BIB | 305-306 | |
| Nancy Kendzierski | |||
| "Cognitive User Interface" Laboratory, GMD - IPSI | | BIB | 307-308 | |
| H. U. Hoppe; R. T. King; F. Schiele; A. Tissen | |||
| Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, University of Maryland, Center for Automation Research | | BIB | 309-310 | |
| Ben Shneiderman | |||
| Search Technology, Inc. | | BIB | 311-312 | |
| Ruston M. Hunt | |||
| Planar Maps: An Interaction Paradigm for Graphic Design | | BIBAK | 313-318 | |
| Patrick Baudelaire; Michel Gangnet | |||
| Compared to traditional media, computer illustration software offers
superior editing power at the cost of reduced freedom in the picture
construction process. To reduce this discrepancy, we propose an extension to
the classical paradigm of 2D layered drawing, the map paradigm, that is
conducive to a more natural drawing technique. We present the key concepts on
which the new paradigm is based: a) graphical objects, called planar maps, that
describe shapes with multiple colors and contours; b) a drawing technique,
called map sketching, that allows the iterative construction of arbitrarily
complex objects. We also discuss user interface design issues in map based
illustration software. Keywords: Illustration software, Drawing paradigm, Planar map, Map sketching, User
interface design | |||
| Encapsulating Interactive Behaviors | | BIBAK | 319-324 | |
| Brad A. Myers | |||
| Although there has been important progress in models and packages for the
output of graphics to computer screens, there has been little change in the way
that input from the mouse, keyboard and other input devices is handled. New
graphics standards are still using a ten year old model even though it is
widely accepted as inadequate, and most modern window managers simple return a
stream of device-dependent input events. This paper presents a new model for
how input devices can be handled for highly-interactive, direct manipulation,
graphical user interfaces. This model encapsulates interactive behaviors into
a few "interactor" object types. Application programs can then create
instances of these interactor objects, and the details of the handling of the
input devices are separated from the application and from the output graphics. Keywords: User interface management systems, Interaction, Object-oriented design,
Input devices, Direct manipulation, Interaction techniques, Input models | |||
| Constraint Grammars -- A New Model for Specifying Graphical Applications | | BIBAK | 325-330 | |
| Bradley T. Vander Zanden | |||
| User Interface Management Systems often attempt to separate the graphical
and nongraphical aspects of an application, but rarely succeed. Constraint
grammars provide a new model for specifying interfaces that achieves this goal
by encapsulating the data structures in a single package, and providing a
powerful transformation-based editing model for manipulating them. Constraint
grammars incorporate a number of important tools, such as the part-whole
hierarchy, almost hierarchical structures, and multidirectional constraints,
that permit designers to specify a wide variety of graphical applications,
including simulation systems, program visualization systems, and visual
programming environments. Keywords: Constraint systems, User interface management systems, Specification
languages, Graphical interfaces, Encapsulation, Programming environments | |||
| The Effects of Device Technology on the Usability of Advanced Telephone Functions | | BIBAK | 331-337 | |
| Teresa L. Roberts; George Engelbeck | |||
| This paper presents a pilot study that addresses the effect that device
technology has on the usability of advanced telephone functions. We prototyped
telephone systems using three technologies: the current 12-button phone set,
the current phone set augmented with speech synthesis, and a phone set
augmented with a display and pointing device. The functions that we offered
included call routing, call screening, and message retrieval. Experiments
showed that a display-based phone was the fastest to use and was preferred; an
interface that used voice-prompting was the slowest and least liked. This
points out that future work on prompting interfaces will have to address user
control and efficiency issues without causing learning/forgetting problems. Keywords: Usability, Advanced telephone functions, Device technology, Mnemonic
commands, Prompting interface, Display-based interface | |||
| An Experiment into the Use of Auditory Cues to Reduce Visual Workload | | BIBA | 339-346 | |
| Megan L. Brown; Sandra L. Newsome; Ephraim P. Glinert | |||
| The potential utility of dividing the information flowing from computer to human among several sensory modalities is investigated by means of a rigorous experiment which compares the effectiveness of auditory and visual cues in the performance of a visual search task. The results indicate that a complex auditory cue can be used to replace cues traditionally presented in the visual modality. Implications for the design of multimodal workstations are discussed. | |||
| The Design of Phone-Based Interfaces for Consumers | | BIBAK | 347-352 | |
| Richard Halstead-Nussloch | |||
| This paper identifies guidelines for designing human-computer interfaces
using telephones as terminals. Although they are ubiquitous and convenient to
use, phones differ from screen terminals in two important ways: the information
display is auditory and serial, and users do not have a pointer. The
differences result in limitations for the interface designer. The guidelines
focus on developing an effective interface within the limitations. Ongoing
analysis, design, development, and testing work at IBM Poughkeepsie and
literature are synthesized into guidelines. They present design options for
user input, system output, and the system and user roles in a phone-based
dialogue. Keywords: Phone-based interface, Interface design guidelines, Telephones, Speech
output, Voice recognition, Serial user interface, Convenient workstation | |||
| Tools for Supporting Cooperative Work Near and Far: Highlights from the CSCW Conference | | BIBA | 353-356 | |
| Susan F. Ehrlich; Tora Bikson; Wendy Mackay; John C. Tang | |||
| The second conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work has provided focus on use of computers for supporting workers that are at various levels of geographic dispersion. The participants in this panel reported case studies at that conference on group work (1) in face-to-face meetings, (2) in the same building, and (3) distributed across a number of sites. Each panelist therefore brings insight about the communication needs of their research subjects and both the value and limitations of particular technologies for supporting the communication that ties the members of the groups together as geographic distance varies. | |||
| HELGON: Extending the Retrieval Reformulation Paradigm | | BIBAK | 357-362 | |
| Gerhard Fischer; Helga Nieper-Lemke | |||
| People who attempt to use a complex information store on a computer
encounter a number of problems: They do not know what information exists or how
to find information, they get no support in articulating a question, and they
are unable to phrase their question in terms that the system understands.
HELGON, an intelligent environment that supports limited cooperative problem
solving, helps people deal with complex information stores. HELGON supports
retrieval and editing by reformulation with multiple specification techniques,
and it acquaints the user with the system model of the information store.
Within the current HELGON system, a number of different information stores have
been implemented. Empirical evaluations have shown that HELGON supports
effective communication. In addition, the evaluations have shown interesting
extensions for future work. Keywords: Complex information stores, Information retrieval, Retrieval by
reformulation, Editing by reformulation, Cooperative problem solving systems,
Visualization | |||
| User-Interface Design for a Clinical Neurophysiological Intensive Monitoring System | | BIBAK | 363-368 | |
| Thomas F. Collura; Ernest C. Jacobs; Richard C. Burgess; George H. Klem | |||
| We describe the functional requirements and design reasoning leading to a
user-interface for an automated clinical neurophysiological monitoring system.
The design provides a versatile, high-performance system in which
computer-naive users have access to functions typically requiring dedicated
training.
The system provides real-time data acquisition, signal processing, and graphical output, specifically tailored for the diagnosis and characterization of cases of epilepsy. The development of a user-interface was based on a collaborative effort, in which designers and users worked with a common functional model, and developed working metaphors for system operations. In addition, an interactive screen was designed to facilitate the management of multiple concurrent operations in an intuitive and easy to learn fashion. Keywords: User-interface design, Human-computer interaction, Medical computing,
Scientific workstation, Clinical neurophysiology | |||
| A Document Layout System Using Automatic Document Architecture Extraction | | BIBAK | 369-374 | |
| Isamu Iwai; Miwako Doi; Koji Yamaguchi; Mika Fukui; Yoichi Takebayashi | |||
| A document layout system based on automatic extraction of document
architecture including logical and reference structures has been developed for
reducing users' effort in document preparation, and has been implemented in a
practical Japanese word processor. The extracted document architecture is used
for both automatic text formatting and layout of text, figures and tables.
Automatic text element recognition is performed by morphological analysis using
keywords. Through intra-line (one sentence) and inter-line (relations between
sentences) analysis, logical and reference structures are obtained. The
automatic layout system effectively lays out the document using the extracted
document architecture and knowledge about the layout. Keywords: Document processing, Text formatting, Automatic document architecture
extraction, Logical structure, Reference structure, Automatic document layout | |||
| Models of User Interactions with Graphical Interfaces: I. Statistical Graphs | | BIBAK | 375-380 | |
| Douglas J. Gillan; Robert Lewis; Marianne Rudisill | |||
| Three models of human interactions with computer-displayed statistical
graphics were developed and tested in an experiment which examined users' speed
and accuracy on identification and comparison questions using 17 graph types.
The results indicated that response time and accuracy were influenced by the
perceptual and informational complexity of the graph, as well as the relation
between the figure and axes, (Model 1); by the physical elements of the graph
-- points, lines, and areas (Model 2); and by the data-ink ratio and data
density (Model 3). The discussion focuses on the development of a single
integrated model of interactions with graphics. Keywords: Statistical graphs, User models, Cognitive models, Performance models | |||
| Understanding Bayesian Reasoning Via Graphical Displays | | BIBAK | 381-386 | |
| William G. Cole | |||
| Bayesian reasoning, updating subjective probability in light of new
information, is notoriously difficult. One factor that may contribute to this
difficulty is lack of a mental model for how to combine the three key
parameters in any Bayesian problem. An experiment was conducted contrasting
four representations of Bayesian problems: three types of diagrams and a two by
two contingency table. All four representations led to extremely good
performance on a Bayesian task. This advantage also extended to a
superficially dissimilar task and also persisted beyond the day of training,
suggesting that graphic and tabular representation can lead to flexible and
durable changes in the way people think about such problems. Keywords: Bayesian reasoning, Graphic representation | |||
| Mathematical Formula Editor for CAI | | BIBAK | 387-392 | |
| Yasutomo Nakayama | |||
| Many students in lower grades who study mathematics with computers have
difficulty in inputting formulas by using existing methods. It would be much
easier for them if they could input formulas naturally, as they appear in
textbooks. This paper describes such an interface program module for use in
CAI. This module makes it easy for students to input and edit complex formulas
solely by key operations, without using a mouse. The difference between the
module and existing mathematical expression editors is that it converts
formulas into character strings syntactically. In this way, CAI programs can
understand the meanings of the formulas. Keywords: Typesetting, CAI, User interface | |||
| Summary of the CHI'89 Doctoral Consortium | | BIBA | 393-394 | |
| Peter G. Polson | |||
| The Doctoral Consortium is a meeting of Ph.D. students who are doing their dissertation research on topics in human-computer interaction. The first meeting was organized by Marilyn Mantei and held at CHI'85 in San Francisco. For CHI'89, the students who attended the consortium meeting were selected from a pool of applicants by the Consortium faculty. They spent a day and a half prior to the beginning of the CHI'89 meeting presenting their dissertations and receiving feedback from the faculty, a group of well-known researchers in the field from both academic and industrial laboratories. | |||