| Scandinavian Design: Users in Product Development | | BIBAK | PDF | 199 | |
| Morten Kyng | |||
| This paper presents an approach to user involvement in product development
that has grown out of a Scandinavian tradition for cooperation with end-users
in design. This tradition emphasizes early and continuing end-user
involvement, and has over the last decade been applied successfully in several
projects. Most of these projects have, however, been research projects or of
the type in-house or contract development, and the claim is often made that
this way of involving users is not suited for product development. In this
paper I sketch the ideas behind involving users in the design process, and then
present and discuss a case of product development in the CSCW area, where more
traditional development activities were integrated with intensive cooperation
with end-users. Keywords: Cooperative design, Participatory design, Product development, Computer
supported cooperative work | |||
| Designing Workscape: An Interdisciplinary Experience | | BIBAK | PDF | 199 | |
| Joseph M. Ballay | |||
| Workscape is a clean-slate design for an office document management product.
It was developed through a unique collaboration among the staffs of Digital and
MAYA. From earliest concepts to current refinements and productization,
Workscape has benefited from interdisciplinary design methods involving
specialists from the fields of human factors, computer science, and visual
design. Extensive use of mockups, in a variety of media, proved particularly
effective in bridging differences of terminology and methodology between these
three disciplines. Keywords: Design, Documents, Interdisciplinary | |||
| An Improved Interface for Tutorial Dialogues: Browsing a Visual Dialogue History | | BIBAK | PDF | 200 | |
| Benoit Lemaire; Johanna Moore | |||
| When participating in tutorial dialogues, human tutors freely refer to their
own previous explanations. This paper describes the design of a user interface
for a tutoring system that enables both the system and the user to refer to the
past dialogue. The work is based on the notion that the dialogue history is a
source of knowledge that can be manipulated like any other. In particular, we
describe an interface that allows students to visualize the dialogue history on
the screen, highlight its relevant parts and query and manipulate the dialogue
history. Keywords: Tutorial interactions, Dialogue history, Information visualization | |||
| Using Aggregation and Dynamic Queries for Exploring Large Data Sets | | BIBAK | PDF | 200 | |
| Jade Goldstein; Steven F. Roth | |||
| We have categorized user goals for exploring large data sets into three
classes: data manipulation, data analysis, and data visualization. Data
manipulation goals, which involve the selection and transformation of data
prior to viewing, consist of three main types: scope goals (for selecting the
amount of data), focus of attention goals (for selecting relevant attributes),
and level of detail goals (for aggregating and decomposing data groups). Using
this classification, we evaluate existing data manipulation techniques and
integrate two synergistic interface mechanisms, the Aggregate Manipulator and
Dynamic Query. We demonstrate how they successfully achieve data manipulation
goals for real estate sales data. Keywords: Interactive techniques, Data exploration, Data visualization, Large data
sets, Graphics presentation, Intelligent interfaces | |||
| An Image Retrieval System Considering Subjective Perception | | BIBAK | PDF | 201 | |
| Haruhiko Nishiyama; Sumi Kin; Teruo Yokoyama; Yutaka Matsushita | |||
| The human interface plays an important role in an information retrieval
system. Visual information is a good human-machine communication system. This
paper proposes an image retrieval scheme based on the assumption that end-users
make use of image database systems. When a human being looks at graphical
materials such as artistic paintings, he/she memorizes them using two patterns
in his/her visual memory: the first pattern is that of looking roughly at the
whole image, the second is that of paying attention to specific objects such as
a person or a desk. Keywords: Image database, Subjective perception, Graphical user interface, Spatial
relationship, Image expression model, Visual language | |||
| Montage: Providing Teleproximity for Distributed Groups | | BIBAK | PDF | 201 | |
| John C. Tang; Monica Rua | |||
| Montage is a research prototype that explores using video to help
collaborators find opportune times to interact with each other and to provide a
sense of teleproximity. Montage uses momentary, reciprocal glances among
networked workstations to make it easy to peek into someone's office. From a
glance, users can quickly start a full-featured desktop video conference. If
the person is not there, Montage provides quick access to browse her on-line
calendar, send her email, or send her an electronic note that pops up on her
screen. Preliminary usage data shows that users did use Montage to have short,
lightweight interactions. Keywords: Awareness, Remote collaboration, Media spaces, Video, Computer-supported
cooperative work | |||
| Courtyard: Integrating Shared Overview on a Large Screen and Per-User Detail on Individual Screens | | BIBAK | PDF | 202 | |
| Masayuki Tani; Masato Horita; Kimiya Yamaashi; Koichiro Tanikoshi; Masayasu Futakawa | |||
| The operation of complex real-world systems requires that multiple users
cooperate in monitoring and controlling large amounts of information. The
Courtyard system supports such cooperative work by integrating an overview on a
shared large display and per-user detail on individual displays. Courtyard
allows a user to move a mouse pointer between the shared and individual screens
as though they were contiguous, and to access per-user detailed information on
the user's individual display simply by pointing to an object on the shared
display. Courtyard selects the detailed information according to the tasks
assigned to the pointing user. Keywords: Computer-supported cooperative work, Shared large display, Per-user detail | |||
| Distributed Collaborative Writing: A Comparison of Spoken and Written Modalities for Reviewing and Revising Documents | | BIBAK | PDF | 202 | |
| Christine M. Neuwirth; Ravinder Chandhok; Davida Charney; Patricia Wojahn; Loel Kim | |||
| Previous research indicates that voice annotation is valuable for expressing
the more complex and social aspects of a collaborative writing task. No direct
evidence exists, however, about the effect of voice annotations on the
recipients. To test this, we designed an interface intended to alleviate some
of the problems associated with voice output and undertook a study with two
goals: to compare the nature and quantity of voice and written comments, and to
evaluate how writers responded to comments produced in each mode. This study
provides direct evidence that the voice modality produces usable annotations
and yields user interface insights. Keywords: Computer-supported cooperative work, Collaborative writing, Annotations,
Voice | |||
| Marquee: A Tool for Real-Time Video Logging | | BIBAK | PDF | 203 | |
| Karon Weber; Alex Poon | |||
| We describe Marquee, a pen-based video logging tool which enables users to
correlate their personal notes and keywords with a videotape during recording.
We present our observations about coordinating the task of logging in real time
and describe the three phases, user-centered approach we took in designing the
tool. Our early work explored the functionalities needed by users to
successfully create a log. In the second phase we focused on testing our
intuitions about logging by conducting user studies with paper mock-ups. In
the final phase, we implemented a working prototype system and placed it in a
setting to see if it supported people logging in real time. Keywords: Video indexing, Video annotation, Gestural interfaces, Penbased computing,
User interfaces, User studies, Multimedia | |||
| A Comparison of the Use of Text and Multimedia Interfaces to Provide Information to the Elderly | | BIBAK | PDF | 203 | |
| Virginia Z. Ogozalek | |||
| This report describes an experiment in which 64 elderly participants,
average age 71, used (1) a text-only or (2) a multimedia computer interface to
obtain information-in this case, about prescription drugs. The participants,
none of whom had used a computer before, compared the computerized information
systems to a more traditional "interface" of words printed on paper. Results
indicate that, for this group of elders, who were recruited from a seniors'
group at a college, a multimedia presentation was better than a text-only
screen or a printed leaflet, on both performance and preference measures. Keywords: Multimedia, Elderly users, Health care, Information search and retrieval,
Interactive video, User interface, Aging, User study, Computers and medicine | |||
| Computers Are Social Actors | | BIBAK | PDF | 204 | |
| Clifford Nass; Jonathan Steuer; Ellen R. Tauber | |||
| This paper presents a new experimental paradigm for the study of
human-computer interaction. Five experiments provide evidence that
individuals' interactions with computers are fundamentally social. The studies
show that social responses to computers are not the result of conscious beliefs
that computers are human or human-like. Moreover, such behaviors do not result
from users' ignorance or from psychological or social dysfunctions, nor from a
belief that subjects are interacting with programmers. Rather, social responses
to computers are commonplace and easy to generate. The results reported here
present numerous and unprecedented hypotheses, unexpected implications for
design, new approaches to usability testing, and direct methods for
verification. Keywords: Anthropomorphism, Agents, Voice, Speech, Social psychology, Gender, Design | |||
| Form-Giving: Expressing the Nonobvious | | BIBAK | PDF | 204 | |
| Gerda Smets; Kees Overbeeke; William Gaver | |||
| The design of richly informative interfaces would benefit from an account of
how visual forms convey information. In this paper we suggest that the study
of form-giving in Industrial Engineering might provide a foundation for such an
account. We present three studies of designed synesthesia, in which objects'
forms indicate non-visible attributes such as taste or smell. These studies
illustrate the rich possibilities for conveying information with form,
possibilities which are routinely exploited in industrial design. We believe
that similar opportunities exist for interface design, and that further studies
of form-giving may help in taking advantage of them. Results of a student
exercise expressing computer metaphors in 3D forms will be discussed. Keywords: Interface design, Visualization, Form-giving, Affordances, Ecological
approaches | |||
| Using a Human Face in an Interface | | BIBAK | PDF | 205 | |
| Janet H. Walker; Lee Sproull; R. Subramani | |||
| We investigated subjects' responses to a synthesized talking face displayed
on a computer screen in the context of a questionnaire study. Compared to
subjects who answered questions presented via text display on a screen,
subjects who answered the same questions spoken by a talking face spent more
time, made fewer mistakes, and wrote more comments. When we compared responses
to two different talking faces, subjects who answered questions spoken by a
stern face, compared to subjects who answered questions spoken by a neutral
face, spent more time, made fewer mistakes, and wrote more comments. They also
liked the experience and the face less. We interpret this study in the light
of desires to anthropomorphize computer interface and suggest that incautiously
adding human characteristics, like face, voice, and facial expressions, could
make the experience for users worse rather than better. Keywords: User interface design, Multimodal interfaces, Anthropomorphism, Facial
expression, Facial animation, Personable computers | |||
| Designing Presentation in Multimedia Interfaces | | BIBAK | PDF | 205 | |
| Alistair Sutcliffe; Peter Faraday | |||
| Current Multimedia interfaces are created primarily by intuition.
Development of a method for analysis and design of Multimedia presentation
interfaces is described. The study investigates task based information
analysis, persistence of information, selective attention and concurrency in
presentation. The method gives an agenda of issues, diagrams and techniques
for specifications, and guidelines for media selection and presentation
scripting. Use of the method is illustrated with an example from a shipboard
emergency management system. Keywords: Multimedia, Design guidelines, Methodology | |||
| The "Starfire" Video Prototype Project: A Case History | | BIBAK | PDF | 206 | |
| Bruce Tognazzini | |||
| Developing a new working computer system can now cost hundreds of millions
of dollars, all expended at great risk. Company managers who must take
responsibility for making development decisions are loath to do so without
being able to see and understand the system they will be "buying." When Sunsoft
launched the Starfire project to develop a next-generation interface, we turned
to video prototyping, in the form of a short 35 mm film delivered in video.
Not only were we thus able to show in mature form many key specifics of our new
interface design, but we were able to communicate a strong sense of the
resulting overall user experience. This paper describes observations and
guidelines we developed during the early stages of the film, and what our
experiences were in applying them. Keywords: Film, Video, Video prototype, Prototype, Observation, Guideline, Drama,
Story, Interaction, Gesture, Stylus, Mouse, Voice recognition, Anthropomorphic
agent, Agent, Feedback, Social, Ethics, Privacy, Future | |||
| Creating Charts by Demonstration | | BIBAK | PDF | 206 | |
| Brad A. Myers; Jade Goldstein; Matthew A. Goldberg | |||
| "Gold" is a new interactive editor that allows a user to draw examples of
the desired picture for business graphics and the system automatically produces
a visualization. To specify a custom visualization in other systems, code must
be written or a bewildering array of dialog boxes and commands must be used.
In Gold, as the user is drawing an example of the desired visualization,
knowledge of properties of the data and the typical graphics of business charts
are used to generalize the example and create a picture for the actual data.
The goal is to make designing a complex, composite chart almost as easy as
sketching a picture on a napkin. Keywords: Data visualization, Demonstrational interfaces, Interactive techniques,
Business charts | |||
| Interactive Graphic Design Using Automatic Presentation Knowledge | | BIBAK | PDF | 207 | |
| Steven F. Roth; John Kolojejchick; Joe Mattis; Jade Goldstein | |||
| Tools for creating data graphics are complex, require significant graphic
expertise, and use predefined graphics that cannot integrate multiple data
types. To solve these problems, we applied automatic data presentation
capabilities to enable two interactive design tools. SageBrush enables users to
assemble graphical sketches from primitives and partial prototypes. SageBook
enables users to browse previously created pictures relevant to new data. SAGE,
an automatic presentation system, supports these by completing underspecified
designs, rendering unique graphic combinations, searching for relevant
pictures, and redesigning old pictures to display new data. Our claim is that
design interfaces must have automatic graphic knowledge to be effective. Keywords: Graphic design, Data visualization, Automatic presentation systems,
Intelligent interfaces, Design environments, Interactive techniques | |||
| Repeat and Predict -- Two Keys to Efficient Text Editing | | BIBAK | PDF | 207 | |
| Toshiyuki Masui; Ken Nakayama | |||
| We demonstrate a simple and powerful predictive interface technique for text
editing tasks. With our technique called the dynamic macro creation, when a
user types a special "repeat" key after doing repetitive operations in a text
editor, an editing sequence corresponding to one iteration is detected, defined
as a macro, and executed at the same time. When we use another special
"predict" key in addition to the repeat key, wider range of prediction schemes
can be performed depending on the order of using these two keys. Keywords: Text editing, Predictive interface, Programming by example, PBE, Programming
by demonstration, PBD, Keyboard macro, Dynamic macro creation | |||
| Communicating About Communicating: Cross-Disciplinary Design of a Media Space Interface | | BIBAK | PDF | 208 | |
| Beverly Harrison; Marilyn Mantei; Garry Beirne; Tracy Narine | |||
| This paper describes benefits and misunderstandings resulting from differing
perspectives and methodologies in a cross-disciplinary team. Our team designed
and deployed a media space (video communication system). The interface
designers were frustrated by the limited user access and rigid schedules
necessary for the sociologists. The sociologists saw designers as
non-observant researchers using invasive research practices and inconstant
measures. In the end, both disciplines helped the other accomplish their goals.
The sociologists learned something about evaluating technology and how
usability impacts future product acceptance. The designers learned how
detailed studies of current work practices and roles can provide design clues. Keywords: User interface design, Inter-disciplinary, Sociology, Video, Media space,
Videoconferencing | |||
| Informal Workplace Communication: What is It Like and How Might We Support It? | | BIBAK | PDF | 208 | |
| Steve Whittaker; David Frohlich; Owen Daly-Jones | |||
| We present new findings about the nature of informal communications, derived
from a naturalistic study of people's everyday working activities. We identify
why such interactions are so common, and valuable and how they are achieved in
the workplace. We also address weaknesses in current systems that support such
interactions remotely and identify further requirements for better support. We
also discuss the implications of this work for conversational theories. Keywords: Informal communication, Audio, Video, CSCW, Workplace activity, Ethnography | |||
| A Room of Our Own: Experiences from a Direct Office Share | | BIBAK | PDF | 209 | |
| Annette Adler; Austin Henderson | |||
| For nine months, the authors worked in a "direct office share" -- two
offices joined by unswitched audio/video connections. This paper describes
that experience. While working together, the authors were engaged in
developing an architecture of use for techno-social systems-framework for
describing distributed technology and people together at work. The paper
therefore also seeks to achieve a second purpose: to present, mostly by
demonstrating its use, the beginnings of such an architecture. This
description comprises three complementary "sightings" on the direct office
share, labeled 1, 1+1, and (1+1)+others. Each sighting captures selected
aspects of technology (audio/video connections) in use by the authors at work.
This capturing of experience demonstrates by example that multiple sightings
provide a powerful form for describing techno-social systems, that current
patterns of use both support and interfere with the use of new technology, and
that only in a description that encompasses both the technical and social can
the use of technology be comprehended. Keywords: Audio/video connections, Direct office share, Architecture of use,
Technology in use, Descriptions of work | |||
| Methods in Search of Methodology -- Combining HCI and Object Orientation | | BIBAK | PDF | 209 | |
| Susan McDaniel; Gary M. Olson; Judith S. Olson | |||
| Software design and user interface design and analysis methods are each
insufficient methods for ensuring good software development. We propose a
combination of object-oriented analysis and design, human computer interaction,
and process redesign forged into one methodology. We describe the use of these
methods in a project case study and conclude with a synopsis of how the methods
worked and lessons we learned. Keywords: Object-oriented methods, Human computer interaction, User-centered design,
Business process redesign | |||
| Enhancing the Explanatory Power of Usability Heuristics | | BIBAK | PDF | 210 | |
| Jakob Nielsen | |||
| Several published sets of usability heuristics were compared with a database
of existing usability problems in order to determine what heuristics best
explain actual usability problems. Based on a factor analysis of the
explanations as well as an analysis of the heuristics providing the broadcast
explanatory coverage of the problems, a new set of nine heuristics were
derived: visibility of system status, match between system and real world, user
control and freedom, consistency and standards, error prevention, recognition
rather than recall, flexibility and efficiency of use, aesthetic and minimalist
design, and helping users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors. Keywords: Discount usability engineering, Heuristic evaluation, Usability problems | |||
| Development and Evaluation of a Model of Behavioral Representation Techniques | | BIBAK | PDF | 210 | |
| J. D. Chase; Robert S. Schulman; H. Rex Hartson; Deborah Hix | |||
| A user-centered approach to interactive system development requires a way to
represent the behavior of a user interacting with an interface. While a number
of behavioral representation techniques exist, not all provide the capabilities
necessary to support the interaction development process. We have developed a
taxonomical model of behavioral representation techniques. Our model is an
epistemological framework for analyzing and comparing existing behavioral
representation techniques, as well as developing and evaluating new techniques.
We present the model and results of our evaluation demonstrating the model's
reliability and utility within the context of behavioral representation
techniques. Keywords: Usability, Behavioral representation techniques, Interaction development,
Model, Empirical evaluation | |||
| Nonvisual Presentation of Graphical User Interfaces: Contrasting Two Approaches | | BIBAK | PDF | 211 | |
| Elizabeth D. Mynatt; Gerhard Weber | |||
| Users who are blind currently have limited access to graphical user
interfaces based on MS Windows or X Windows. Past access strategies have used
speech synthesizers and braille displays to present text-based interfaces.
Providing access to graphical applications creates new human interface design
challenges which must be addressed to build intuitive and efficient nonvisual
interfaces. Two contrasting designs have been developed and implemented in the
projects Mercator and GUIB. These systems differ dramatically in their
approaches to providing nonvisual interfaces to GUIs. This paper discusses
four main interface design issues for access systems, and describes how the
Mercator and GUIB designs have addressed these issues. It is hoped that the
exploration of these interfaces will lead to better nonvisual interfaces used
in low visibility and visually overloaded environments. Keywords: Nonvisual HCI, Blind users, Graphical user interfaces, Auditory interfaces,
Tactile interfaces | |||
| The Design and Evaluation of an Auditory-Enhanced ScrollBar | | BIBAK | PDF | 211 | |
| Stephen A. Brewster; Peter C. Wright; Alistair D. N. Edwards | |||
| A structured method is described for the analysis of interactions to
identify situations where hidden information may exist and where non-speech
sound might be used to overcome the associated problems. Interactions are
considered in terms of events, status and modes to find any hidden information.
This is then categorised in terms of the feedback needed to present it. An
auditory-enhanced scrollbar, based on the method described, was then
experimentally tested. Timing and error rates were used along with subjective
measures of workload. Results from the experiment show a significant reduction
in time to complete one task, a decrease in the mental effort required and an
overall preference for the auditory-enhanced scrollbar. Keywords: Auditory interfaces, Multi-modal interface, Earcons, Sonification,
Auditory-enhanced widgets | |||
| Protofoil: Storing and Finding the Information Worker's Paper Documents in an Electronic File Cabinet | | BIBAK | PDF | 212 | |
| Ramana Rao; Stuart K. Card; Walter Johnson; Leigh Klotz; Randy Trigg | |||
| Although the document imaging industry has taken off in the last few years,
document image filing for the individual information worker is still not
widespread or effective. In this paper, we focus on building an electronic
filing system for paper documents that supports the ad hoc, multifarious work
of information workers. Motivated by interviews with researchers and a survey
of descriptive studies of paper document filing, we have focused on minimizing
or delaying costs of document filing and supporting a rich variety of methods
for assessing and using stored documents. We have implemented a prototype
system called Protofoil for storing, retrieving, and manipulating paper
documents as electronic images that integrates many user interface -- paper and
workstation -- and information retrieval technologies. Protofoil has been
tested through use in our laboratory, and has been deployed in a field study at
a lawyer's office. Keywords: Document imaging, Paper user interface, Information retrieval, Filing of
paper documents, Ad hoc information work | |||
| The Marks are on the Knowledge Worker | | BIBAK | PDF | 212 | |
| Alison Kidd | |||
| A study of knowledge workers showed that the most important thing about them
is they are changed by information. They do not carry much written material
with them, rarely consult files, and have cluttered desks. My explanation is
that once informed, knowledge workers do not need to retain the information
source. However, until informed, they cannot file information because they
cannot categorise it. I conclude that the valuable marks are on knowledge
workers rather than on paper or file and suggest that they might be better
supported by improving the act of informing rather than storing information for
them in a "disembodied" form. Keywords: Knowledge workers, Information appliances, Writing, Memory | |||
| Raison d'Etre: Capturing Design History and Rationale in Multimedia Narratives | | BIBAK | PDF | 213 | |
| John M. Carroll; Sherman R. Alpert; John Karat; Mary S. Van Deusen; Mary Beth Rosson | |||
| Raison d'Etre is a hypermedia design history application. It provides access
to a database of video clips containing stories and personal perspectives of
design team members recorded at various times through the course of a project.
The system is intended to provide a simple framework for recording and
organizing the informal history and rationale that design teams create and
share in the course of their collaboration. This paper describes (1) the
scenarios of use we are trying to support, (2) the methods we used collecting
and organizing the database, and (3) the status of our prototype. Keywords: Documentation, Design history, Collaboration, Multimedia database,
Hypermedia | |||
| Facilitating Effective HCI Design Meetings | | BIBAK | PDF | 213 | |
| John L. Bennett; John Karat | |||
| Over several years we have participated as facilitators in many
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design meetings. Our focus has been on
developing team results needed to achieve user-centered design of software for
computer systems. We describe frameworks for partnerships, stages of meetings,
and team conversations that we have found useful. In order to illustrate our
general approach, we select one design meeting experience as a case study. We
close with observations on how facilitation skills might be developed by design
team participants. This is needed in response to an emerging requirement for
effective collaborative teamwork in HCI design activities. Keywords: Methodologies, Design, Software engineering, Design process, Group work | |||
| Interface Techniques for Minimizing Disfluent Input to Spoken Language Systems | | BIBAK | PDF | 214 | |
| Sharon Oviatt | |||
| This research examines spontaneous spoken disfluencies during human-computer
interaction, presents a predictive model accounting for their occurrence, and
outlines interface techniques for minimizing disfluent input. Data were
collected during two studies in which people spoke to a highly interactive
simulated system. Two factors were associated with an increase in speech
disfluency rates: lengthiness of utterance, and lack of structure in the
presentation format. In these studies, structural changes to the presentation
format eliminated 70% of all disfluent speech. The long-term goal of this
research is to provide empirical guidance for the design of robust spoken
language technology. Keywords: Speech disfluency, Predictive modeling, Interface design, Spoken language
systems, Robust processing | |||
| An Object-Oriented Approach to Dialogue Management in Spoken Language Systems | | BIBAK | PDF | 214 | |
| Randall Sparks; Lori Meiskey; Hans Brunner | |||
| We describe an object-oriented approach to dialog management for the design
of spoken language interface to information services. In this approach, dialog
states are abstract objects that encapsulate the information and behavior the
system needs to interact successfully with the user at any given point in an
extended dialog. An inheritance hierarchy determines the properties of
particular dialog states, which are instantiated dynamically during the
user-system dialog. Dialog management rules are methods that respond to
different types of user inputs in a manner appropriate for the current dialog
state. This approach has been used to implement a prototype of a
telephone-based information service. Keywords: Dialog management, Spoken language system, Object-oriented design, User
interface | |||
| Automatic Generation of Interactively Consistent Search Dialogs | | BIBAK | PDF | 215 | |
| Dan R., Jr. Olsen; Walter Holladay | |||
| The problem of creating search dialogs which are consistent with normal user
interface dialogs is posed. The ART user interface tool kit is presented. The
features of top-down filtering of interactive events and the modeling of
interactor semantics as editing variables are discussed. Two special interactor
filters are described which when wrapped around an editing dialog will
transform that dialog into one which edits search patterns for the same class
of objects. Keywords: User interface, Tool-kits, Searching, Automatic transformation | |||
| Automatic Generation of Help from Interface Design Models | | BIBAK | PDF | 215 | |
| Roberto Moriyon; Pedro Szekely; Robert Neches | |||
| Model-based interface design can save substantial effort in building help
systems for interactive applications by generating help automatically from the
model used to implement the interface, and by providing a framework for
developers to easily refine the automatically-generated help texts. This paper
describes a system that generates hypertext-based help about data presented in
application displays, commands to manipulate data, and interaction techniques
to invoke commands. The refinement component provides several levels of
customization, including programming-by-example techniques to let developers
edit directly help windows that the system produces, and the possibility to
refine help generation rules. Keywords: Automatic help generation, Model-based interface design, Hypertext-based
help, Help customization, Help generation rules | |||
| Automating Interface Evaluation | | BIBAK | PDF | 216 | |
| Michael D. Byrne; Scott D. Wood; Piyawadee "Noi" Sukaviriya; James D. Foley; David Kieras | |||
| One method for user interface analysis that has proven successful is formal
analysis, such as GOMS. These methods have been criticized for being at
minimum an additional burden for the system designer. However, if the process
of constructing and using formal models could be automated, they could be of
even greater value. This paper describes an early version of such a system,
called USAGE. Given the application model necessary to drive the UIDE system,
USAGE generates an NGOMSL model of the interface which can be "run" on a
typical set of user tasks and provide execution and learning time estimates. Keywords: GOMS, Usability, User interface design environment, Interface evaluation,
Formal models of the user, UIMS | |||
| The Cost-of-Knowledge Characteristic Function: Display Evaluation for Direct-Walk Dynamic Information Visualizations | | BIBAK | PDF | 216 | |
| Stuart K. Card; Peter Pirolli; Jock D. Mackinlay | |||
| In this paper we present a method, the Cost-of-Knowledge Characteristic
Function, for characterizing information access from dynamic displays. The
paper works out this method for a simple, but important, class of dynamic
displays called direct-walk interactive information visualizations, in which
information is accessed through a sequence of mouse selections and key
selections. The method is used to characterize a simple calendar task for an
application of the Information Visualizer, to compute the changes in
characterization as the result of possible program variants, and to conduct
empirical comparison between different systems with the same function. Keywords: Information visualization, Dynamic displays, Methodology, Evaluation, 3D
user interfaces, Information Visualizer | |||
| Comparative Usability Evaluation: Critical Incidents and Critical Threads | | BIBAK | PDF | 217 | |
| Jurgen Koenemann-Belliveau; John M. Carroll; Mark K. Singley | |||
| Empirical usability evaluations (particularly formative evaluations) hinge
on observing and interpreting critical incidents of use. We proposed
augmenting critical incident methods by analysis of what we called critical
threads: sets of causally related user episodes that, taken together, define
major usability themes. This paper extends this work to the comparative
usability analysis of a related artifact. We discuss how our earlier claims
analysis was used to orient and simplify our current evaluation efforts. Keywords: User interfaces, Evaluation methodology, Formative evaluation, Usability
evaluation | |||
| Usability Testing in the Field: Bringing the Laboratory to the User | | BIBAK | PDF | 217 | |
| David E. Rowley | |||
| Usability testing is not always best accomplished within the confines of a
specifically equipped usability laboratory. Logistics and resource constraints
sometimes necessitate taking the testing out on the road. This paper describes
some of the issues surrounding a field testing program, and gives suggestions
about how such an undertaking can be accomplished under strict financial,
resource and schedule limitations. A case study is presented to help
illustrate the planning and evaluation process, and to provide insights into
the types of problems such an endeavor is likely to encounter, as well as some
valuable lessons learned along the way. Keywords: Usability testing, Formative evaluation, Field testing, Cooperative
evaluation | |||
| User Learning and Performance with Marking Menus | | BIBAK | PDF | 218 | |
| Gordon Kurtenbach; William Buxton | |||
| A marking menu is designed to allow a user to perform a menu selection by
either popping-up a radial (or pie) menu, or by making a straight mark in the
direction of the desired menu item without popping-up the menu. This paper
reports on a case study of user behavior with marking menus in a real work
situation. The study demonstrates that when users become expert, marks are
used extensively and are on average 3.5 times faster than using the menu.
However, expert users still occasionally switch back to menus to refresh their
memory of menu layout. Keywords: Marking menus, Pie menus, Gestures, Pen based input, Accelerators, Input
devices, Multimedia | |||
| T-Cube: A Fast, Self-Disclosing Pen-Based Alphabet | | BIBAK | PDF | 218 | |
| Dan Venolia; Forrest Neiberg | |||
| An interface for entering text to a pen-based computer is described. The
technique proposes a new alphabet, where each letter is a flick gesture. These
flick gestures are self-disclosing using pie menus. An experiment determined
the speeds of executing the flick gestures and the transition speeds between
gestures. An assignment of characters to gestures is developed and evaluated.
Audio feedback is used to convey whether a gesture was well- or badly-formed.
A longitudinal study showed clear progress on a learning curve. The method is
compared to soft keyboards, handwriting recognition systems, and unistrokes. Keywords: Stylus, Text entry, Pen-based computing, Audio feedback | |||
| Filochat: Handwritten Notes Provide Access to Recorded Conversations | | BIBAK | PDF | 219 | |
| Steve Whittaker; Patrick Hyland; Myrtle Wiley | |||
| We present a novel application which integrates handwriting and recorded
audio in a semi-portable device. Based on user interviews, it allows people to
straightforwardly access particular points in recorded spontaneous speech via
handwritten notes, using temporal indexing. Laboratory studies showed
objective benefits of combined notes and audio over notes alone. The utility
of the access method was shown by improved performance over current audio
technology such as dictaphones. We also found perceived benefits of higher
quality meeting minutes in field trials. An unforeseen benefit was the use of
this device as an audio editing tool. We discuss further technical extensions
and user issues in relation to the prototype. Keywords: Audio, "Speech-as-data", Retrieval, Handwriting, Notes, Indexing | |||
| A Preliminary Analysis of the Products of HCI Research, using Pro Forma Abstracts | | BIBAK | PDF | 219 | |
| William Newman | |||
| A classification scheme for the products of engineering research is
described, involving three principal categories: improved modelling techniques,
solutions and tools. A set of pro forma abstracts are proposed as a means of
identifying the three categories, and are found to cover over 90 percent of the
554 engineering papers sampled. However only 30 percent of papers published at
recent CHI and INTERCHI conferences can be thus categorized. The remainder
appear mostly to describe radical solutions (solutions not derived from
incremental improvements to solutions to the same problem), and experience
and/or heuristics gained mostly from studies of radical solutions. Keywords: Human-computer interaction, Research methods, Research products, System
design, Abstracts, Radical solutions | |||
| Supporting Knowledge-Base Evolution with Incremental Formalization | | BIBAK | PDF | 220 | |
| Frank M., III Shipman; Raymond McCall | |||
| Computers require formally represented information to support users but
users often cannot provide it. This paper looks at an approach called
"incremental formalization", when users express information informally and the
system supports them in formalizing it. Incremental formalization requires a
system architecture that can integrate formal and informal representations and
enable and support moving information upward in formality. The system should
include tools to capture naturally available informal information and
knowledge-based techniques to suggest possible formalizations of this informal
information. The Hyper-Object Substrate, a system with these characteristics,
has been applied to a variety of domains. Keywords: Formalization, Structure, Hypermedia, Knowledge-based systems, Knowledge
representation, Knowledge acquisition | |||
| Seeding, Evolutionary Growth and Reseeding: Supporting the Incremental Development of Design Environments | | BIBAK | PDF | 220 | |
| Gerhard Fischer; Ray McCall; Jonathan Ostwald; Brent Reeves; Frank Shipman | |||
| We describe an approach to acquiring information during the creation and use
of domain-oriented environments. Our model consists of three phases: seeding,
evolutionary growth, and reseeding. A seed for a domain-oriented design
environment is created through a participatory design process between
environment developers and domain designers by incorporating domain-specific
knowledge into a domain-independent architecture for design environments.
Evolutionary growth takes place as domain designers use the seeded environment
to undertake specific projects. Reseeding is a process that reinvolves the
environment developers to help domain designers better organize, formalize, and
generalize knowledge added during the use phases. Keywords: Design, Design environments, Domain-orientation, Evolution of information
spaces, Seeds, Reseeding, Annotation, Incremental formalization, Tacit
knowledge, Situated cognition, End-user modifiability, Collaborative design | |||
| Talking Through Design: Requirements and Resistance in Cooperative Prototyping | | BIBAK | PDF | 221 | |
| John Bowers; James Pycock | |||
| Some analyses are presented of talk between designers and a potential user
in a participatory design session where a prototype application was worked with
to determine future requirements. We explore the ways in which design
suggestions are formulated and argued for, and how requirements emerge as a
negotiated product of interaction. On this basis, we re-examine user
participation in design and the relationship between prototyping and user
requirements. We conclude by offering a notion (gradients of resistance in
design space) to help understanding the interplay of the social and the
technical in design. Keywords: Requirements, Participatory design, Interaction analysis | |||
| The Movable Filter as a User Interface Tool | | BIBAK | PDF | 221 | |
| Maureen C. Stone; Ken Fishkin; Eric A. Bier | |||
| Magic Lens filters are a new user interface tool that combine an
arbitrarily-shaped region with an operator that changes the view of objects
viewed through that region. These tools can be interactively positioned over
on-screen applications much as a magnifying glass is moved over a newspaper.
This paper describes their advantages in more detail and illustrates them with
examples of magic lens filters in use over a variety of applications. Keywords: Viewing filter, Lens, Transparent, Visualization, Editing, Macro, Graphics | |||
| Visual Information Seeking: Tight Coupling of Dynamic Query Filters with Starfield Displays | | BIBAK | PDF | 222 | |
| Christopher Ahlberg; Ben Shneiderman | |||
| Visual information seeking (VIS) is distinguished from familiar query
composition and information retrieval because of its emphasis on rapid
filtering, progressive refinement or search parameters, continuous
reformulation of goals, and visual scanning to identify results. VIS
principles developed: dynamic query filters (query parameters rapidly adjust
with sliders, buttons, maps, etc.), starfield displays (two-dimensional
scatterplots to structure result sets), and tight coupling (interrelating query
components to preserve display invariants and support progressive refinement
and an emphasis on using search output to foster search input). A FilmFinder
prototype using a movie database demonstrates these principles. Keywords: Database query, Dynamic queries, Information seeking, Tight coupling,
Starfield displays | |||
| The Table Lens: Merging Graphical and Symbolic Representations in an Interactive Focus+Context Visualization for Tabular Information | | BIBAK | PDF | 222 | |
| Ramana Rao; Stuart K. Card | |||
| We present a new visualization, called the Table Lens, for visualizing and
making sense of large tables. The visualization uses a focus+context (fisheye)
technique that works effectively on tabular information because it allows
display of crucial label information and multiple distal focus areas. In
addition, a graphical mapping scheme for depicting table contents has been
developed for the most widespread kind of tables, the case-by-variables table.
The Table Lens fuses symbolic and graphical representations into a single
coherent view that can be fluidly adjusted by the user. This fusion and
interactivity enables an extremely rich and natural style of direct
manipulation exploratory data analysis. Keywords: Information visualization, Exploratory data analysis, Graphical
representations, Focus+context technique, Fisheye technique, Tables,
Spreadsheets, Relational tables | |||
| Evaluating the Influence of Interface Styles and Multiple Access Paths in Hypertext | | BIBAK | PDF | 223 | |
| Pawan R. Vora; Martin G. Helander; Valerie L. Shalin | |||
| In this paper, we investigated usability issues in hypertext. First, we
compared usability of graphical and textual interfaces. The results favored a
graphical interface with labeled links (GL). However, subjects suggested
incorporating multiple pathways to facilitate search. To determine how
hypertext designers could establish, a priori, multiple structures, we
consulted domain experts. Distinct organizations emerged from experts in
different professions. Therefore, we modified the hypertext to incorporate
these multiple structures. On subsequent evaluation, contrary to previous
evidence, multiple structures enhanced search performance. Based on these
experiments, we recommend using a GL interface and multiple semantic
organizations to improve hypertext usability. Keywords: Hypertext, Usability, Design guidelines, Graphical vs. textual interfaces,
Single vs. multiple organizations, Expert organizations | |||
| Multitrees: Enriching and Reusing Hierarchical Structure | | BIBAK | PDF | 223 | |
| George W. Furnas; Jeff Zacks | |||
| This paper introduces multitrees, a new type of structure for representing
information. Multitrees are a class of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) with the
unusual property that they have large easily identifiable substructures that
are trees. These subtrees have a natural semantic interpretation providing
alternate hierarchical contexts for information, as well as providing a natural
model for hierarchical reuse. The numerous trees found within multitrees also
afford familiar, tree-based graphical interactions. Keywords: Information graphs, Representation, Hierarchies, Reuse, Directed graphs,
Hypertext structures, Graphical browsers | |||
| A Keystroke Level Analysis of a Graphics Application: Manual Map Digitizing | | BIBAK | PDF | 224 | |
| Peter Haunold; Werner Kuhn | |||
| Manually transforming analog graphic data, such as maps, into digital form
is slow and expensive, but widely performed. The work reported here
investigates the possibility to apply the Keystroke-Level Model to the modeling
and optimization of manual map digitizing tasks. We tested the suitability of
the model at a national mapping agency and determined unit tasks with their
performance times. The paper describes an experiment to measure performance
times under production conditions. Two new keystroke level operators are
defined for manual digitizing. The use and suitability of the model are
demonstrated by comparing predicted and measured performance times. Keywords: Keystroke-level model, Graphics, Map digitizing, Geographic information
systems, Interface design optimization | |||
| A GOMS Analysis of the Advanced Automated Cockpit | | BIBAK | PDF | 224 | |
| Sharon Irving; Peter Polson; J. E. Irving | |||
| A GOMS analysis of a subset of skills needed to use the Flight Management
Computer on advanced, commercial "glass-cockpit" aircraft revealed the
existence of just three common methods, as well as inconsistencies in the
interface. Novices given low-fidelity, part-task Macintosh computer based
training in accordance with this formal modeling effort could carry out similar
tasks in a full motion flight simulator, using real aircraft hardware. Their
performance was compared with pilots who had just completed professional
training as well as with experts. Their performance of all groups reflected
difficulties with the interface as revealed by the analysis. Keywords: Formal models, GOMS, "Glass-cockpit", Air crew training | |||
| A Validation of the GOMS Model Methodology in the Development of a Specialized, Commercial Software Application | | BIBAK | PDF | 225 | |
| Richard Gong; David Kieras | |||
| A formal GOMS model approach was applied to the design and evaluation of the
user interface for a specialized, commercial software application. This
approach was able to identify significant usability problems embedded in the
procedures by which users interact with the interface. A redesign of the
interface based on the GOMS approach resulted in a 46% reduction in learning
time and a 39% reduction in execution time during a formal evaluation,
differences predicted by the GOMS analysis. Corrections to the GOMS time
estimation techniques were necessary to obtain accurate (within 9%) predictions
of absolute learning and execution times. Keywords: GOMS, Analytical methods, Interface design, Usability, User testing,
Performance prediction | |||
| A Taxonomy of See-Through Tools | | BIBAK | PDF | 225 | |
| Eric A. Bier; Maureen C. Stone; Ken Fishkin; William Buxton; Thomas Baudel | |||
| The see-through interface is a new interaction paradigm, based on a set of
semi-transparent tools that are moved over an application with one hand while
the other applies the tools using a traditional cursor. Compared to
traditional interactors, these tools save steps, require no permanent screen
space, eliminate temporal modes, allow the user to stay focused on the work
area, and are easily customized. This paper presents a taxonomy of see-through
tools that considers variations in each of the steps they perform. Our
taxonomy is illustrated with example tools that perform graphical editing and
text editing operations. Keywords: User interface, Control panel, Transparent, Multi-hand, Viewing filter,
Button, Lens, Menu, Macro | |||
| The Alphaslider: A Compact and Rapid Selector | | BIBAK | PDF | 226 | |
| Christopher Ahlberg; Ben Shneiderman | |||
| Research has suggested that rapid, serial, visual presentation of text
(RSVP) may be an effective way to scan and search through lists of text strings
in search of words, names, etc. The Alphaslider widget employees RSVP as a
method for rapidly scanning and searching lists or menus in a graphical user
interface environment. The Alphaslider only uses an area less than 7 x 2.5cm2.
An experiment was conducted with four Alphaslider designs which showed that
novice Alphaslider users could locate one item in a list of 10,000 film titles
in 24 seconds on average. Keywords: Alphaslider, Widget, Selection technology, Menus, Dynamic queries | |||
| Specification of Interface Interaction Objects | | BIBAK | PDF | 226 | |
| David A. Carr | |||
| User Interface Management Systems have significantly reduced the effort
required to build a user interface. However, current systems assume a set of
standard "widgets" and make no provisions for defining new ones. This forces
user interface designers to either do without or laboriously build new widgets
with code. The Interface Object Graph is presented as a method for specifying
and communicating the design of interaction objects or widgets. Two sample
specifications are presented, one for a secure switch and the other for a two
dimensional graphical browser. Keywords: User interface specification, User interface design | |||
| Recursive Interfaces for Reactive Objects | | BIBAK | PDF | 227 | |
| Michael Travers | |||
| LiveWorld is a graphical environment for programming with reactive objects.
It offers novice users a world in which graphic objects and program elements
are integrated into a single interaction framework. To manage the diversity of
object types in LiveWorld, it uses an unusual object system in which the
separate categories of classes, objects, and slots are replaced with a single
type of entity, the frame, that has a simple and intuitive graphic
representation. This unification enables the construction of an integrated
interface that achieves elegance, simplicity and power, and can provide
conceptual scaffolding for novices to enter into programming. Keywords: Programming environments, Objects, Direct manipulation, Visual
object-oriented programming, Agents, Rules | |||
| The Value of a Baseline in Determining Design Success | | BIBAK | PDF | 227 | |
| Brenda Burkhart; Darold Hemphill; Scott Jones | |||
| This paper examines the value of a baseline for usability testing in a
software development organization and the specific issues that arose during the
implementations of the usability test. Specifically, this testing involved the
transitioning of a character-based user interface to a graphical user
interface. In order to assess the efficacy of the new design and to determine
if performance improvements were achieved with the new interface, a baseline
was established to enable a comparative usability assessment. This usability
test focused on comparing performance on similar tasks for both interfaces.
Results indicated that the new interface was faster than the old interface for
similar tasks. Usability goals were established at an arbitrary 50%
improvement in task time over the old system. An average of 56% improvement
was achieved. Advantages of the comparative design, namely better
identification of tasks to target for improvement and establishment of an
archive of data, are discussed. In addition, recommendations for reducing the
effort involved in staging a comparative usability test are discussed. Keywords: Comparative testing, Baseline, CUI, Design principles, GUI, Usability
testing, Usability goals | |||
| User Preferences for Task-Specific vs. Generic Application Software | | BIBAK | PDF | 228 | |
| Bonnie A. Nardi; Jeff A. Johnson | |||
| We conducted an ethnographic study to investigate the use of generic vs.
task-specific application software by people who create and maintain
presentation slides. The study was motivated by our beliefs that: 1) some
software programs are task-generic, intended for use in a wide variety of
tasks, while others are task-specific, intended to support very specific tasks;
2) task-specific software is preferable, but is often not used because of cost,
learning effort, or lack of availability; and 3) people who infrequently
perform a task tend to use generic tools, while people who frequently perform a
task tend to use task-specific tools. Our findings suggest that the truth is
more complex. Keywords: Task-specificity, Task analysis, Slidemaking, End user computing,
Interoperability, Collaborative work | |||
| Surrogate Users: Mediating Between Social and Technical Interaction | | BIBAK | PDF | 228 | |
| Deborah Lawrence; Michael E. Atwood; Shelly Dews | |||
| Although human machine interaction is typically studied in the context of
one person interacting with a computer, people often interact with computers in
support of their communication with other people. Telephone operators are an
excellent example of such "surrogate users"; they use workstations to carry out
a goal for a customer, such as finding a telephone number. As the customer's
intermediary, the operator must construct an accurate and well-specified
search, though the information offered may be incomplete or inaccurate. We
have examined both the social interaction and the human-computer interaction in
such situations using several different types of analysis, first in CPM-GOMS
models and more recently in dialogue analysis and analysis of dialogue
timelines. Our work has alerted us to the special human performance
requirements of surrogate user tasks. Keywords: Dialogue analysis, System evaluation, Surrogate users, Database retrieval | |||
| Children's Use of Mouse-Based Interfaces to Control Virtual Travel | | BIBAK | PDF | 229 | |
| Erik Strommen | |||
| Children's performances using three different mouse interfaces to control
point-of-view (POV) navigation in a prototype of a CD-ROM based "virtual
forest" were assessed. Results indicate that while children readily understood
POV movement and were able to use all three interfaces successfully, each
interface was less than optimal for different reasons. An assessment of the
strengths and weaknesses of each interface in light of the intended usage
scenario was conducted, and the least problematic of the three was selected for
the system. Keywords: Children, Interface, Virtual travel | |||
| The Effect of Reducing Homing Time on the Speed of a Finger-Controlled Isometric Pointing Device | | BIBAK | PDF | 229 | |
| Anant Kartik Mithal; Sarah A. Douglas | |||
| This paper examines a new pointing device. Subjects' pointing performance
was compared in two tasks. One task required pointing, the other pointing and
typing. One group used a keyboard and mouse. The other used a keyboard with
integrated joystick under the "J" key. The mouse was faster despite the
reduction in homing time shown by the joystick and keyboard combination. We
show that the mouse is the faster pointing device; that a finger controlled
device complies with Fitts' law; and that for designing faster pointing
devices, increasing the Fitts' Law Index of Performance is more important than
reducing homing time. Keywords: Fitts' law, Pointing devices, Homing time, Keystroke level model, Index of
difficulty, Index of performance, Mouse, Joystick | |||
| Two-Handed Input in a Compound Task | | BIBAK | PDF | 230 | |
| Paul Kabbash; William Buxton; Abigail Sellen | |||
| Four techniques for performing a compound drawing/color selection task were
studied: one unimanual, one bimanual where different hands controlled
independent subtasks, and two bimanual, where the action of the right hand
depended on that of the left. We call these latter two "asymmetric dependent."
Since they closely conform to everyday bimanual tasks, we predict they would
give rise to the best performance. One, called Toolglass, did. The reasons
and implications for design are discussed. These are contrasted with other
kinds of two-handed techniques, and it is shown below how, if designed
inappropriately, two hands can be worse than one. Keywords: Two-handed input, GUIs, Toolglass, Palette menus, Compound tasks | |||
| In Search of Design Principles for Programming Environments | | BIBAK | PDF | 230 | |
| Stephanie Houde; Royston Sellman | |||
| Software development environments are becoming progressively more advanced
in their support for construction of large software applications. However, it
is still tedious and time consuming for programmers to build even simple
applications. This paper describes an exploratory study which identifies some
common problems experienced by programmers working with a range of currently
available tools. Eight professional programmers were observed while each built
the same simple application using a different software development environment.
Problems encountered during the authoring process were noted. Four categories
of common problems emerged. Design principles implied by these categories are
suggested. Keywords: Programming environments, Authoring tools, User-centered design | |||
| Programmable Design Environments: Integrating End-User Programming with Domain-Oriented Assistance | | BIBAK | PDF | 231 | |
| Michael Eisenberg; Gerhard Fischer | |||
| Programmable design environments (PDEs) are computational environments that
integrate the conceptual frameworks and components of (a) design environments
and (b) programmable applications. The integration of these two approaches
provides elements (such as software "critics" and "queryable objects") that
assist users in learning both the application and its domain; in addition, an
interactive "application-enriched" end-user programming environment stresses
the values of expressiveness and modifiability. By way of illustration, we
present a newly-developed programmable design environment, SchemeChart, for the
domain of charting and information displays. Keywords: Programmable design environments, End-user programming, Programmable
applications, Domain-oriented design environments, Critics | |||
| "Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?" Lessons in Interface Consistency and Analogical Reasoning from Two Cognitive Architectures | | BIBAK | PDF | 231 | |
| John Rieman; Clayton Lewis; Richard M. Young; Peter G. Polson | |||
| Users who have worked with just a few pieces of application software on a
computer system are often faced with the need to use a new program on the same
system. Consistency between program interfaces is intended to make new
software easier to learn, but how "consistency" should be defined is not clear.
We present a model of analogical reasoning that describes how users rely on
interface consistency to induce correct actions in a new situation. Versions
of the model are implemented in ACT-R and Soar. The model yields a more
principled understanding of design guidelines that recommend consistency. Keywords: User models, Consistency, Exploratory learning, Analogy, Metaphor | |||
| A Model of the Acquisition of Menu Knowledge by Exploration | | BIBAK | PDF | 232 | |
| Andrew Howes | |||
| This paper reports a mechanism that learns how to use a menu structure by
exploration. The model, called Ayn, starts without any knowledge of the menus
but when given a goal, explores and tries out options until the goal has been
achieved. During this process it constructs a long-term, recognition-oriented,
memory of its behavior so that on future occasions it will be able to achieve
the same goal without exploration. The mechanism captures three aspects of
human behavior: it learns while interacting with the device, it speeds up with
practice, and it acquires display-based knowledge. Keywords: Exploratory learning, Cognitive models, Working memory, Practice, Menus,
Display-based knowledge | |||
| Passive Real-World Interface Props for Neurosurgical Visualization | | BIBAK | PDF | 232 | |
| Ken Hinckley; Randy Pausch; John C. Goble; Neal F. Kassell | |||
| We claim that physical manipulation of familiar real-world objects in the
user's real environment is an important technique for the design of
three-dimensional user interfaces. These real-world passive interface props
are manipulated by the user with both hands to specify spatial relationships
between interface objects. We present neurosurgical planning as a driving
application and demonstrate the utility of a head prop, a cutting plane prop,
and a trajectory selection prop in this domain. Our informal evaluations have
shown that with a cursory introduction, neurosurgeons who have never seen the
interface can understand and use it without training. Keywords: Three-dimensional interaction, Gesture input, Two-handed interaction, Haptic
input, Neurosurgery, Visualization | |||
| The "Silk Cursor": Investigating Transparency for 3D Target Acquisition | | BIBAK | PDF | 233 | |
| Shumin Zhai; William Buxton; Paul Milgram | |||
| This study investigates dynamic 3D target acquisition. The focus is on the
relative effect of specific perceptual cues. A novel technique is introduced
and we report on an experiment that evaluates its effectiveness. There are two
aspects to the new technique. First, in contrast to normal practice, the
tracking symbol is a volume rather than a point. Second, the surface of this
volume is semi-transparent, thereby affording occlusion cues during target
acquisition.
The experiment shows that the volume/occlusion cures were effective in both monocular and stereographic conditions. For some tasks where stereographic presentation is unavailable or infeasible, the new technique offers an effective alternative. Keywords: 3D interface, Interaction technique, Target acquisition, Virtual reality,
Fitts' law, Input, Depth perception | |||
| Direct and Intuitive Input Device for 3-D Shape Deformation | | BIBAK | PDF | 233 | |
| Tamotsu Murakami; Naomasa Nakajima | |||
| Standard input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard in present
computer-aided design systems do not provide users with direct and intuitive
facilities for highly 3-D shape manipulation. To solve the problem, this paper
proposes a new interface system for 3-D shape manipulation by adopting a real
elastic object as an input device. By deforming the device with bare hands
with a tactile feedback, users can manipulate a 3-D shape modeled and displayed
on a computer screen quite directly and intuitively. A prototype with a
cubical input device made of electrically conductive polyurethane foam is also
presented. Keywords: Human interface, Computer graphics, Input device, Computer-aided design,
Free-form deformation | |||