| What You See, Some of What's in the Future, And How We Go About Doing It: HI at Apple Computer, Inc. | | BIBAK | HTML | 155 | |
| Don Norman; Jim Miller; Austin Henderson | |||
| In this organizational overview we cover some of the critical aspects of
human interface research and application at Apple or, as we prefer to call it,
the "User Experience." We cover what we do, where we are going (as much as we
are permitted to say in public), and how we are organized. Some of our
innovations in the product process and in the transfer of research from the
laboratories to product should be of special interest to the HCI community. Keywords: Organizational overview, Organizational structure, Technology transfer | |||
| Usability at Eastman Kodak Company: A Study in Group Collaboration | | BIBAK | HTML | 156-157 | |
| Elizabeth Rosenzweig; Cay Lodine | |||
| This presentation describes the Kodak Boston Development Center Usability
Laboratory and its collaborative work within the larger Eastman Kodak Company
corporate environment. The unique product development process, resultant user
interface guidelines and subsequent products are discussed. In addition, a
description of the collaborative work within the larger corporation is
described. Keywords: Interaction, Research organizations, User testing, Design guidelines,
Collaborative development, Organizational context, Development tools and
methods | |||
| Interface Evaluation, Design and Research at Intel | | BIBAK | HTML | 158-159 | |
| Jean Scholtz; Paul Sorenson | |||
| At Intel, usability engineers are currently seen as vital contributors to
our goal of making the PC appear everywhere! Intel has in the past been
predominately a hardware company. However, the scope at Intel is being
broadened to software in order to illustrate the usefulness of new hardware
technology. As more leading edge software is being produced, usability has
become an important process at Intel. Keywords: Usability, Interface design, Usability research | |||
| FRIEND21 Project: Two-Tiered Architecture for 21st-Century Human Interfaces | | BIBAK | HTML | 160-161 | |
| Hajime Nonagaki; Hirotada Ueda | |||
| The FRIEND21 Project, which ended on March 31, 1994, is briefly described
and its final results are presented. The FRIEND21 Project conducted research
into human interfaces having two-tiered architecture consisting of "metaware"
and "agency model." This approach attempts to deal with human-interface issues
from the very top layer of a symbolic and cognitive environment constructed
between the user and the machine to the bottom layer of machine functions
organized into the agency model. Keywords: Symbolic environment, Symbolic context, Two-tiered HI architecture,
Metaware, Agency model | |||
| HCI at New Mexico State University | | BIBAK | HTML | 162-163 | |
| Douglas J. Gillan | |||
| HCI at New Mexico State University has a dual focus -- the development of
cognitive theory in a real-world context and the application of cognitive
principles and methods to interface design. Graduate training exhibits that
dual focus, with general training in experimental psychology and statistical
methods, as well as specialized training in HCI design, prototyping, and
evaluation. Faculty research centers around the development of cognitive
models of computer users, with particular emphasis on multivariate methods for
modeling user knowledge, such as Pathfinder networks. Keywords: Organization overview, University, Cognitive models | |||
| Interaction Design at IDEO Product Development | | BIBAK | HTML | 164-165 | |
| Peter Spreenberg; Gitta Salomon; Phillip Joe | |||
| IDEO Product Development is a multidisciplinary consultancy with offices
worldwide. This overview describes how interaction design personnel within the
San Francisco and London offices work with other disciplines such as human
factors and industrial design to apply a five step, user-centered approach to
product development. Three broad areas of interaction design work and the IDEO
design process are described. Keywords: Interaction design, Information design, Multimedia, Human factors, User
interface, Prototyping, Hardware integration, User-centered design | |||
| User Interface Engineering: Fostering Creative Product Development | | BIBAK | HTML | 166-167 | |
| Jared M. Spool; Carolyn Snyder; Will Schroeder | |||
| User Interface Engineering is a seven-year old company researching and
consulting on what makes products usable. Our mission is to encourage and
foster creative product development teams that build applications users will
use and value. We do this not only by demonstrating the technology used in
building better product interfaces, but also through the processes which
produce that technology.
We accomplish this through research, training, consulting, and publication. Training, consulting and publication serve to transfer the techniques and technologies developed in our research. Our work emphasizes innovative applications of usability to the challenges facing today's product developers. Keywords: Prototyping, Low-fidelity prototyping, Process management, Product
development, Contextual inquiry, Modeling, Practical techniques, Group dynamics | |||
| Integrated Software Usability Services | | BIBAK | HTML | 168-169 | |
| Christel Dehaes; Kris Vanstappen | |||
| The Human Interface Group is a consulting firm specialising in software
usability. Their services cover the complete software development cycle. The
integration of user interface design (from conceptual design to usability
testing) and user documentation (from documentation plan to localisation, DTP
and packaging) makes them excellent partners for large international companies
that develop software. Keywords: HCI services, User interface design, User documentation | |||
| Creative Prototyping Tools: What Interaction Designers Really Need to Produce Advanced User Interface Concepts | | BIBAK | HTML | 170-171 | |
| Manfred Tscheligi; Stephanie Houde; Raghu Kolli; Aaron Marcus; Michael Muller; Kevin Mullet | |||
| Prototyping is an important, well accepted and compelling technique for any
person dealing with the design of effective communication between people and
technology. We all use some "tool" to enlive our ideas and to tell our stories
to all of the other people involved during development of new and alternative
user interface concepts. The word "tool" covers all sorts of means to tell
these stories. Available prototyping tools run behind the need of interaction
designers in particular with the goal to invent new forms of interaction. Do
they really deserve the name "prototyping" tool? Based on the experiences of
the panelists the panel should discuss the current situation and proclaim
thinking in the direction of more designer oriented and flexible prototyping
support. Panelists should discuss their vision of an "ideal" prototyping
environment useful for designers and not only suited for programmers. The
discussion should include support for the whole activity of innovation (from
high level conceptual design and idea sketching to detailed design activities)
and support for non style guide oriented interaction designs.
At the beginning of the panel a short introduction to the main issues of the panel is given by the moderator. This will be followed by the initial position presentations of the panelists. The panelists cover the topic by addressing their experiences based on their different backgrounds and fields of experience. Examples will be provided. Time will be reserved for interaction with the audience. At the end of the panel the panelists will be asked to give a personal summary of the discussion and will be particularly asked to address the most important parts of their dreams of an ideal prototyping tool. The panel is closed by a short resume. Keywords: Prototyping, Interaction design, Visual design, Participatory design,
Industrial design, Non standard user interfaces | |||
| Retrospective Views on Apple Computer's Interface Design Project | | BIBAK | HTML | 172-173 | |
| S. Joy Mountford; Stephanie Houde; Ron Baecker; Sergio Canetti; Yvonne Rogers; Tom Bellman; Robert Girling; Patrick Meehan; Magnus Ramage | |||
| This panel will illustrate, through personal anecdotes, first hand
experiences of being involved with the Apple Computer Interface Design Project.
This project was initiated to better prepare and train students for real world
interaction design problems. This was accomplished by sponsoring a specific
project within the university curriculum system. All of the panel participants
have been directly involved with the Apple Interface Design Project over the
last few years, 1991-94. They represent different sides of the partnership.
The faculty who constructed courses around the Apple brief and students who
designed interaction prototypes as part of the project class. This will be an
open discussion between students and faculty about the benefits and problems
encountered. We aim to examine future roles that industry could play in
shaping project topics to facilitate more real world design problem
experiences. Keywords: Design process, Teaching HCI, Relationship between industry & academia | |||
| 3D or Not 3d: "More is Better" or "Less is More"? | | BIBAK | HTML | 174-175 | |
| Kevin Mullet; Diane J. Schiano; George Robertson; Joel Tesler; Barbara Tversky | |||
| The rapid growth in platform-level support for real-time 3D rendering and
animation has recently created an explosion of public interest in adding to the
dimensionality of the user interface, and the SIGCHI community has been a major
source of activity in this area. This panel considers several points of view
on the ever-increasing use of 3D visual representations in the user interface
itself. We aim to help distinguish between conditions under which "more" truly
is better -- from a user-centered perspective -- and those in which a
well-designed 2D solution would serve as well or even better. Panelists will
offer examples of applications in which 3D is highly essential or completely
unnecessary. Keywords: Visualization, 3D Graphics, User interface design | |||
| Discount or Disservice? Discount Usability Analysis -- Evaluation at a Bargain Price or Simply Damaged Merchandise? | | BIBAK | HTML | 176-177 | |
| Wayne D. Gray; Michael E. Atwood; Carolanne Fisher; Jakob Nielsen; John M. Carroll; John Long | |||
| The panel will focus on Jakob Nielsen's Discount Usability approach and
guidelines. Nielsen has single handily restored guidelines to CHI. After
being discredited because of the sheer impracticality of using 1000+
guidelines, Nielsen has been working hard to convince practitioners that all
they need to know about usability can be summarized in 10 guidelines. This may
be a real disservice. While using 10 guidelines may be better than using none,
do people who have learned Nielsen's 10 think that they now know all they need
to know about usability? The panel proposes a wide-ranging, public discussion
of these issues. Keywords: Discount usability, Guidelines, Analysis and evaluation techniques | |||
| Interface Styles: Direct Manipulation versus Social Interactions | | BIBAK | HTML | 178 | |
| Lynn Streeter; Sara Kiesler; Clifford Nass; Ben Shneiderman | |||
| This panel will debate whether, when, and why interfaces should take on
human characteristics, such as assume particular personality styles, interact
with user in socially meanful terms, use natural language as a means of
communicating, etc. Some will argue that interfaces are enhanced by judicious
use of social interactions styles while others argue that that users prefer
direct control and manipulation of interfaces to anthropomorphic interaction
styles, as seen in talking automobiles or talking automatic teller machines.
Some panelists will argue that under appropriate circumstances social
characteristics can enhance the interface and make it more likable by the user.
Other panelists will argue that data has repeatedly shown that social
interaction styles are eshewed by users.
This debate is particularly timely given the widespread interest ins software agents and how they should be designed. There are several behaviors agents could display (anthropomorphic presentation, adaptive behavior, accept vague goal specification, give the user just what is need, work while the user sleeps or work in places that the user is not physically present). Which of these are important to include or exclude from an interface will be debated. Keywords: Agents, Personality, Direct manipulation, Social interaction, Social actors | |||
| Browsing vs. Search: Can We Find a Synergy? | | BIBAK | HTML | 179-180 | |
| Jock D. Mackinlay; Polle T. Zellweger; Mark Chignell; George Furnas; Gerard Salton | |||
| This panel seeks a synergy between two common user interface approaches for
information access: browsing and search. Panelists from a variety of
backgrounds including information retrieval and hypertext will give short
presentations suggesting what the synergy might be from their individual
perspectives. The panelists and the audience will then jointly discuss how to
achieve an overall synergy. Keywords: Information access, Browsing, Search, Querying, Navigation, Information
visualization | |||
| The NSF/ARPA/NASA Digital Libraries Initiative: Opportunities for HCI Research | | BIBAK | HTML | 181-182 | |
| William Hefley; Ann Bishop; Barbara Buttenfield; Joseph Hanes; Scott Stevens; Nancy Van House; Terry Winograd | |||
| In September, 1994, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded six
research projects a total of $24.4 million to develop new technologies for
digital libraries. A joint initiative of NSF, the Department of Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA), the projects' focus is to dramatically advance the
means to collect, store, and organize information in digital forms, making it
available for networked search and retrieval. Exciting opportunities exist for
research in human-computer interaction with huge libraries of digital
information. Panel members discuss the individual projects and HCI
implications. Keywords: Digital libraries, Multimedia, User interface design | |||
| The Anti-Mac: Violating the Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines | | BIBAK | HTML | 183-184 | |
| Stuart Card; Don Gentner; Jakob Nielsen; Austin Henderson; Don Norman | |||
| Graphical computer interfaces have become the norm. They are based on a
number of principles such as metaphor, see-and-point, direct manipulation, user
control, and WYSIWIG. The Anti-Mac project explored alternative interfaces
that might result from violating the principles behind conventional graphical
interfaces. What emerges is a human-computer interface based on language, a
richer representation of objects, expert users, skilled agents, and shared
control. Keywords: Computer-human interface, Macintosh human interface, Metaphor, Direct
manipulation, User control, WYSIWYG, User interface design, WIMP interface,
Language, Computer agents, Objects, Attributes, Futurism | |||
| Creativity: Interacting with Computers | | BIBAK | HTML | 185-186 | |
| Ernest Edmonds; Gerhard Fischer; S. Joy Mountford; Frieder Nake; Douglas Riecken; Robert Spence | |||
| Much traditional HCI research has concentrated on routine, well-defined and
stable, tasks or low level computer support for complex tasks, e.g.
spell-checking for someone writing a book. Increasingly, however, interest is
moving to the support of people involved in creative tasks. This is the topic
of the panel. Design and the visual arts will be used as typical examples of
creative work and visions of computer futures and their cultural and social
implications are explored. Keywords: Creativity, Interaction, Design, Art, Emergence, Distribution, Concurrency | |||
| From Our Past to Our Future: User Interfaces Over the Lifespan | | BIBA | HTML | 187-188 | |
| Maddy D. Brouwer-Janse; Jane Fulton Suri; Roger Coleman; Sandra Edwards; James L. Fozard; David V. Keyson | |||
| The design of user interfaces for consumer products and services for different generations of users presents problems which have been rarely addressed by the HCI community. How can designers meet the needs of senior citizens, the "elderboom" of the 2000's, if they themselves are of the computer game and "edutainment" generation? Or, how do we design for children, having passed childhood long ago, and with guidelines that are lagging behind technological development? The panel will address user interface design issues that concern the lifespan of people and products as they relate to the rapid change in our population distribution. | |||
| Mapping the Design Process: Visualizing What We Don't See | | BIBAK | HTML | 189-190 | |
| Daniel Boyarski; Virginia Howlett; Scott Mathis; David Peters | |||
| The process of developing and designing software varies widely across
projects and development teams. There are short-term projects and endless
ones; small teams and large ones; clearly defined objectives and goals defined
on the fly. What is common to most of these efforts is that they are not
simple and easy endeavors, developed in linear fashion with predictable
results. They are also rarely documented in visual terms, say as process maps
with artifacts as exemplars, that can later be studied and improved upon.
Within the HCI community, we tend to focus on parts of the process -- such as
user models or evaluation methods -- and less often consider the life and shape
of the process as a whole.
Because of time constraints, development teams are rarely afforded the time to reflect on a completed project, or even a particular phase of a project. How did it turn out? Did we achieve what we set out to do? What worked well and what didn't? What would we do differently next time? Time to reflect on the process employed ends up being time well spent, as such reflection informs future projects, benefitting everyone by saving time and resources. The idea behind this panel is to make the design process explicit. We will do this by showing how three interface design projects progressed from start to finish. Mapping each project's process makes visual a seemingly abstract process. By graphically representing a complex procedure, we are able to see the parts and how they relate to each other within the whole. These are three very different projects from three very different companies; in fact, the situations and constraints could not be more varied. This affords us the chance to compare and contrast design process maps. Keywords: Development and design process, Interdisciplinary teamwork, Problem solving,
Visualization | |||
| Dealing with Complexity: Uniting Agents and Direct Manipulation | | BIB | 191-192 | |
| Doug Riecken; Pattie Maes; Ben Shneiderman; David Canfield Smith | |||
| CHI Conference User Feedback Session | | BIBAK | HTML | 193-194 | |
| Kevin M. Schofield; Gene Lynch; Michael Tauber; Bill Curtis; Rodney Fuller; Terry Roberts | |||
| One can think of the annual CHI conference as the HCI community's own piece
of "groupware". Since we as a community advocate user participation in the
design process, it is fitting that we should devote time during the conference
to soliciting feedback from our users. This session will provide an
opportunity for conference attendees to critique the conference and to provide
suggestions for improving the conference in the future. Panelists will also
raise broader issues about the long-term direction of our field and how the
conference can best serve that evolution. Keywords: User feedback, CHI conference, Conference design | |||
| The Design Challenge -- Creating a Mosaic Out of Chaos | | BIBA | HTML | 195-196 | |
| Joan Greenbaum; Morten Kyng | |||
| As designers we usually find ourselves -- and our designs -- in complex
organizational settings, where diverse and often conflicting interests
co-exist. Yet design is often seen as a process where the 'one best solution'
is developed instead of allowing the rich mosaic of conflicting perspectives to
be brought to light. Sooner or later the official pictures of the foreground
are contradicted by current practice and create conflicts that may seriously
jeopardize systems built on them. With hindsight we can see how this happened,
for example in the 1960's and '70's when mainframe system software was designed
to follow the automation-like flow of production work, controlling work process
and workers and dividing labour and tasks. In the 1980's, despite the use of
new software tools and the emphasis on PC-based applications, designers focused
on the tasks and procedures of given work flows instead of embarking on
approaches that would have allowed them to learn about how new software might
be appropriated, put to use and tailored in an organization.
We argue that these are not simple mistakes. They are partly due to the failure of our methods and techniques -- and more broadly to the failure of system design practice -- to seriously confront political, social and economic issues, allowing power, politics and perspectives to stay hidden. In order to address these issues, some background assumptions about work and users must be challenged, together with ideas about tools and techniques. | |||
| Learning from Diversity: Interactive TV, Computers, and the Frontier of the Cognitive Sciences | | BIBA | 197 | |
| Scott McDonald | |||
| The digital revolution has promoted the convergence of technologies that heretofore have been in separate spheres: television, computers, and telephones. Yet the dynamics of human interaction with these technologies retain some important differences. Indeed, the early testing of interfaces for interactive television indicates that the "conventional wisdom" derived from work in one sphere may not be wholly applicable to the creation of interfaces in the other spheres. Even after the digital data streams feeding all three technologies converge into one irreducible "atomic" substructure of zeroes and ones, the social contexts in which the three technologies are used may limit the transferability of interface design generalizations across the spheres. The current development scene, though unruly, chaotic, and competitive, offers a unique opportunity to use the diversity of approaches not only to develop optimal user interfaces, but also to advance the formulation of more general theories about human cognition and perception. Individual tiles do not automatically make a mosaic; they need to be organized to create some picture or design. As we work on our separate and diverse interfaces, we should not fail to meet this larger challenge of theory development. | |||
| Designing Glyphs to Exploit Patterns in Multidimensional Datasets | | BIBAK | 198-199 | |
| Christopher Joslyn; Clayton Lewis; Brigitta Domik | |||
| Designing glyphs for revealing patterns in multidimensional data has been
largely a trial-and-error process. We suggest that characteristics of human
texture perception can provide useful guidance, allowing more effective glyphs
to be designed. Using a combination of empirical study of existing glyphs and
analysis of the Bergen and Landy [1] model of texture perception, we developed
improved versions of existing glyphs and a new glyph, all effective in
revealing certain simple regularities in data. Keywords: Glyphs, Iconic displays, Multidimensional data, Pattern detection,
Visualization, Visual perception | |||
| Livemap -- A System for Viewing Multiple Transparent and Time-Varying Planes in Three Dimensional Space | | BIBAK | HTML | 200-201 | |
| Robert Silvers | |||
| Livemap dynamically combines related components of time-varying data to
provide a context-relevant view into an information landscape. Livemap
facilitates a display of increased density by layering content that contains
transparent elements and provides utility to help abstract areas of interest. Keywords: Layers, Transparency, Planes, Visualization, Stereo | |||
| Automatic Generation of Starfield Displays Using Constraints | | BIBAK | HTML | 202-203 | |
| Scott E. Hudson; Ian Smith | |||
| In this paper we present an constraint-based approach to the automatic
generation of starfield displays for use with dynamic query filters. This
approach automatically transforms a specification of the data to be displayed
into a dynamic query filter interface whose results are shown to the user in a
starfield display. This transformation is accomplished by translating the data
specification into a specification for a one-way constraint system and
accompanying user interface objects. Both of these are compiled into fast,
executable code to create a final program. Keywords: Starfield displays, Visualization techniques, Constraints, Graphical user
interfaces, Dynamic query filters, Automatic generation | |||
| Visualising Complex Interacting Systems | | BIBAK | HTML | 204-205 | |
| Nick Drew; Bob Hendley | |||
| The work described here is concerned with enhancing the visualisation of
complex software systems (in particular object-oriented systems [4]). The
major concern is to provide a powerful and concrete visual representation of
such abstract systems, through which a user can move seamlessly from viewing
the architectural structure to considering low level detail. The main
approaches are to use virtual reality techniques and self organising systems. Keywords: VR, Object-orientation, Software visualisation, Complex systems | |||
| Issues of Gestural Navigation in Abstract Information Spaces | | BIBAK | HTML | 206-207 | |
| David Allport; Earl Rennison; Lisa Strausfeld | |||
| Navigating large multidimensional information spaces presents a set of
unique problems for user interface design. The key challenge is not to provide
fast and accurate object manipulation, but to prevent the user from getting
"lost", and to provide an intuitive way to move through the space. We have
developed an interface that uses electrostatic field sensing to interpret
natural hand gestures as motion controllers. We are investigating the
conceptual models that provide intuitive mappings from hand gestures to
movements in multidimensional information space. Keywords: Gestural navigation, Conceptual navigation models, Input devices, Abstract
information spaces | |||
| Financial Viewpoints: Using Point-of-View to Enable Understanding of Information | | BIBAK | HTML | 208-209 | |
| Lisa Strausfeld | |||
| This paper presents Financial Viewpoints, an experimental interactive 3D
information space that spatially and volumetrically represents a portfolio of
seven mutual funds. 3D point-of-view is used to represent context and context
shifts in the information and to allow users to view multiple representations
of the information in a single, continuous environment. This project is the
first in a larger and ongoing research effort to explore the notion of embodied
virtual space. Keywords: Information visualization, 3D interactive graphics, Financial visualization,
Point-of-view, Embodied virtual space, User interface metaphors | |||
| Audio Augmented Reality: A Prototype Automated Tour Guide | | BIBAK | HTML | 210-211 | |
| Benjamin B. Bederson | |||
| Large information spaces are often difficult to access efficiently and
intuitively with traditional window and icon-based interfaces. In this paper,
we demonstrate Pad++, a graphical interface system based on zooming. Objects
can be placed in the graphical workspace at any size, and zooming is a basic
interaction technique for navigating. The goal is to provide simple methods
for visually navigating complex information spaces that ease the burden of
locating information while maintaining an intuitive sense of location and of
relationships between information objects. Keywords: Interactive user interfaces, Multiscale and zoomable interfaces, Authoring,
Information navigation, Hypertext, Information visualization | |||
| Speaker Segmentation for Browsing Recorded Audio | | BIBAK | HTML | 212-213 | |
| Donald D. Kimber; Lynn D. Wilcox; Francine R. Chen; Thomas P. Moran | |||
| Audio recording is an easy way to capture the content of meetings, group
discussions, or conversations. However the sequential nature of the media
makes good indexing essential to the effective use of the recorded audio. One
kind of index is speaker identity. We describe a system which automatically
divides a multi-speaker recording into speaker segments and displays this
information graphically. The tool allows a user to easily access the parts of
a recording where given people are talking. Keywords: Multi-media, Auditory I/O, Speaker segmentation, Speaker identification,
Audio indexing, Browsing | |||
| Ear Tracking: Visualizing Auditory Localization Strategies | | BIBAK | HTML | 214-215 | |
| William Joseph King; Suzanne J. Weghorst | |||
| Auditory displays are an ongoing topic of human computer interaction
research and have been shown to be beneficial in human interfaces. Further,
binaural spatial acoustic displays are a topic of increasingly active research.
As these virtual acoustic displays become more predominant, new methods for
measuring user's perceptions and the display's effectiveness become necessary.
A novel method for examining virtual acoustic displays, specifically
localization strategies within these displays, is presented. This method is
analogous to eye tracking in visual displays. Such a method may be useful in
the evaluation of virtual acoustic displays and in the design of adaptive
acoustic displays. Keywords: Binaural audio, Virtual acoustic displays, Auditory perception, Position
tracking, Adaptive interfaces | |||
| A Metaphor for the Visually Impaired: Browsing Information in a 3D Auditory Environment | | BIBAK | HTML | 216-217 | |
| Mauricio Lumbreras; Gustavo Rossi | |||
| In this paper we propose a conversational metaphor to provide an easy access
to an information base in the context of a 3D aural environment. This approach
tries to exploit the hearing sense at the outmost. We show that this approach
allows us to build or to adapt current hypermedia interfaces so that they can
be used by blind people.
We analyze how to represent the static architecture of a virtual environment in which the user travels, comparing it with existing initiatives for enabling the visually impaired to have access to computer systems. We discuss how a (blind) user navigates through the environment, how he can manage and control the flow of information and how he gets oriented in this aural framework. Keywords: Hypermedia, Auditory I/O, Aids for the impaired, Metaphors, Virtual reality | |||
| AudioStreamer: Exploiting Simultaneity for Listening | | BIBA | HTML | 218-219 | |
| Chris Schmandt; Atty Mullins | |||
| AudioStreamer exploits peoples' ability to separate the mix of sounds that arrive at our ears into distinct sources to more effectively browse multiple simultaneous channels of real-time or stored audio. AudioStreamer's listener interface enhances our ability to selectively attend to the source of greatest interest by making it acoustically prominent. It also augments our ability to perceive events in the audio channels which are out of focus by auditorially alerting us to salient events on those channels. The main contributions of AudioStreamer are the use of spatial separation and simultaneous listening for audio document retrieval and modeling listener interest to enhance the effectiveness of simultaneous listening. | |||
| Musical vs. Real World Feedback Signals | | BIBAK | HTML | 220-221 | |
| Cynthia A. Sikora; Linda Roberts; La Tondra Murray | |||
| Sound families comprised of either musical sounds (abstract musical
signals), communications sounds (based on traditional electronic signals), or
real world sounds (based on naturally occurring, nonmusical events) were
designed to provide auditory feedback in a graphical user interface. Typical
business users mapped the sounds to functions and rated their confidence in the
functional mapping. The sounds which mapped well to functions were then tested
within the context of a graphical user interface business communications
simulation. Users rated the pleasantness and appropriateness of each sound and
selected the best sound for each function. In general, real world sounds
mapped most reliably to the functions. However, users consistently preferred
musical sounds to the real world sounds. Of the eleven feedback signals
selected for specific functions four were communications based and seven were
musical. None of the real world auditory signals were acceptable. Keywords: Auditory feedback, Auditory icons, Earcons, Sound | |||
| Visual Annotation of Links in Adaptive Hypermedia | | BIBAK | HTML | 222-223 | |
| Peter Brusilovsky; Leonid Pesin | |||
| Visual annotation of links is a new technique for adaptive navigation
support in adaptive educational hypermedia. This paper explains briefly this
technique and reports preliminary experimental results of its evaluation. The
results show that adaptive visual annotation is helpful and can reduce user
floundering in hyperspace. Keywords: User models, Adaptive hypermedia, Adaptive navigation support | |||
| Conceptually Adapted Hypertext for Learning | | BIBAK | HTML | 224-225 | |
| Kelvin Clibbon | |||
| Cognitive overload and disorientation limits the effectiveness of hypertext
for learning. By cognitively adapting a hypertext system to the user and by
providing instructional cues, the effects of these problems might be reduced.
A quasi-experimental evaluation study is reported, with a view to testing the
efficacy of this theory. Keywords: Adaptive hypertext, Hypertext based learning, Conceptual modelling, Learning
styles | |||
| "It's the Computer's Fault" -- Reasoning about Computers as Moral Agents | | BIBAK | HTML | 226-227 | |
| Batya Friedman | |||
| Typically tool use poses few confusions about who are understand to be the
moral agent for a given act. But when the "tool" becomes a computer, do people
attribute moral agency and responsibility to the technology ("it's the
computer's fault")? Twenty-nine male undergraduate computer science majors
were interviewed. Results showed that most students (83%) attributed aspects
of agency -- either decision-making and/or intentions -- to computers. In
addition, some students (21%) consistently held computers morally responsible
for error. Discussion includes implications for computer system design. Keywords: Computer agents, Computer ethics, Intelligent agents, Social computing,
Social impact | |||
| Can Computer Personalities be Human Personalities? | | BIBAK | HTML | 228-229 | |
| Clifford Nass; Youngme Moon; BJ Fogg; Byron Reeves; Chris Dryer | |||
| The present study demonstrates that (1) computer personalities can be easily
created using a minimal set of cues, and (2) that people will respond to these
personalities in the same way they would respond to similar human
personalities. The present study focuses on the similarity-attraction
hypothesis, which predicts that people will prefer to interact with others who
are similar in personality. In an experiment (N = 48), dominant and submissive
subjects were randomly matched with either a dominant or submissive computer.
When a computer was endowed with the properties associated with dominance or
submissiveness, subjects recognized the computer's personality type along only
that dimension. In addition, subjects not only preferred the similar computer,
but they were more satisfied with the interaction. The findings demonstrate
that personality does not require richly defined agents, sophisticated
pictorial representations, natural language processing, or artificial
intelligence. Rather, even the most superficial manipulations are sufficient
to produce personality, with powerful effects. Keywords: Agents, Personality, Individual differences, Computers are social actors | |||
| A Model of Optimal Exploration and Decision Making in Novel Interfaces | | BIBAK | HTML | 230-231 | |
| Bob Rehder; Clayton Lewis; Bob Terwilliger; Peter Polson; John Rieman | |||
| Users attempting to interact with an application for the first time are
confronted with the problem of determining which command to execute in order to
accomplish their goals. A "rational analysis" was conducted in order to
determine how users ought to behave when faced with this decision problem. The
resulting model is able to account at a qualitative level for a number of
behaviors that users actually exhibit when trying to use a new application. Keywords: User models, Exploratory behavior | |||
| The Use of an Automatic "To Do" List to Guide Structured Interaction | | BIBA | HTML | 232-233 | |
| Ian Rogers | |||
| Knowledge-driven editors can improve productivity by taking care of the
low-level details of a design artifact, and by guiding the user through an
interaction. Despite this, editors that dictate their knowledge too strongly
can actually reduce usability by forbidding a sequence of interactions that the
user has planned -- a sequence that may be the most natural to the user.
This paper introduces the use of an automatically managed "To Do" list as the primary method for the knowledge agent to communicate to the user. The "To Do" list guides the user to a correctly constructed design artifact, without overly constraining the user. | |||
| Evaluating Program Representation in a Demonstrational Visual Shell | | BIBAK | HTML | 234-235 | |
| Francesmary Modugno; Albert Corbett; Brad A. Myers | |||
| For Programming by Demonstration (PBD) systems to reach their full
potential, a program representation is needed so users can view, edit and share
programs. We designed and implemented two equivalent representation languages
for a PBD desktop similar to the MacIntosh Finder. One language graphically
depicts the program's effects. The other language describes the program's
actions. A user study showed that both languages enabled users with no prior
programming experience to generate and comprehend programs, and that the first
language doubled users' abilities to generate programs. Keywords: End-user programming, Programming by demonstration, Visual language, Visual
shell, Pursuit | |||
| Virtual Slots: Increasing Power and Reusability for User Interface Development Languages | | BIBAK | HTML | 236-237 | |
| Francisco Saiz; Javier Contreras; Roberto Moriyon | |||
| An extension to constraint-based user interface development languages is
shown. It permits the abstract representation of constraints which must be
applied to objects that are not accessible in the moment of the constraint
definition. Using this mechanism, more modularity is achieved, as each part of
information is stored where it is needed. Richer libraries of reusable objects
can therefore be built in a natural way. Keywords: Constraints, Reusability, User interface implementation, Libraries | |||
| Students' Use of Animations for Algorithm Understanding | | BIBAK | HTML | 238-239 | |
| Judith Wilson; Irvin R. Katz; Giorgio Ingargiola; Robert Aiken; Nathan Hoskin | |||
| Our goal in this pilot study is to explore students' behavior as they learn
about two search algorithms, observing the role of algorithm animations. We
find that alternative animations of the same algorithm may provide different
information and facilitate different types of reasoning. Keywords: AI education, Visual reasoning | |||
| Abstract Specification of User Interfaces | | BIBAK | HTML | 240-241 | |
| Ole Lauridsen | |||
| The paper discusses automation of user interface design and proposes a user
interface design method that combines the use of formal semantic specification
and rapid user interface builders. Based on formalized design rules, a user
interface design proposal can be derived from the functionality of an
application. The advantages of this method are: Automation of parts of the
design process, automatic design evaluation, and automatic mapping to multiple
user interface toolkits. The method will ease the transition from the
functional design of an application to the user interface design by a
semantically driven design of user interfaces. Keywords: Interface design, Automatic generation of user interface, Design process | |||
| Interface Engineering in an Office Information Appliance | | BIBAK | HTML | 242-243 | |
| Constance Fleuriot; David Y. Lees; Robert D. Macredie; Peter J. Thomas; John F. Meech | |||
| This paper describes Wells, a prototype information appliance that supports
communication, information exchange and information management between
co-workers. The appliance is particularly targeted on the requirements of the
relationship between managers and their assistants. Wells aims to integrate
and coordinate a range of information devices such as phones, faxes, and email
and incorporate it with diary-based information. In more general terms, Wells
provides an opportunity to explore the issues of personal information
management and the design of interfaces to appliances to support these
activities [1]. Keywords: Information appliances, Metaphors, Intelligent systems, Information
management, Time management, Office applications | |||
| Building Non-Visual Interaction through the Development of the Rooms Metaphor | | BIBAK | HTML | 244-245 | |
| Anthony Savidis; Constantine Stephanidis | |||
| Today, there are no tools for supporting non-visual User Interface
construction. Computer-based applications accessible by blind users are merely
non-visual reproductions [2] of interactive software designed for sighted
users. Moreover, the above approaches explicitly employ the Desktop metaphor
for non-visual interaction. It is evident that there is a the need for: (i)
the design of interaction metaphors appropriate for blind users, and (ii) a
software developer's library for building non-visual User Interfaces on the
basis of these new metaphors. In this context: (a) a methodology for metaphor
development has been constructed, (b) a metaphor called Rooms (not to be
confused with other systems) has been designed, and (c) a toolkit for
developing Rooms-based non-visual interfaces, called COMONKIT, has been
developed. Keywords: Metaphors, Non-visual interaction, Interface toolkits, Aids for the impaired | |||
| The TrackPad -- A Study on User Comfort and Performance | | BIBAK | HTML | 246-247 | |
| Ahmet E. Cakir; Gisela Cakir; Thomas Mller; Pieter Unema | |||
| The user study on the TrackPad, a new touch tablet technology input device,
was designed to investigate the impact of the use of the device on the
biomechanical load and postural comfort of the users. In a one day test, the
subjects, experienced Macintosh users, performed tests and worked on tasks,
using a portable computer, that were organized to resemble normal office tasks
and measure performance. The tasks included intensive use of the keyboard.
The performance was measured by text editing tasks and eight Fitts's Tests with two levels of difficulty. The biomechanical load was measured and evaluated by means of EMG and postural (motion) analyses. General comfort and postural comfort was evaluated with questionnaires. The analyses of the EMG-measurements yielded no indication of progressive fatigue or increased muscular load from one session to the next. On the contrary, the recorded EMG-levels showed a decrease in muscular activity. The postural analyses indicated that undue deviation, extension, or flexion of the hands, which may cause discomfort, generally did not occur. The average values were within the limits given by the physiology of the human arm. However, personal preferences for the arm posture were highly different. When performing the text editing task with the TrackPad, during the training session, the subjects had already achieved a performance equivalent to 65% of mouse performance. A performance of more than 90% was achieved after two hours and 100% in the fifth hour session. This means that the learning period for such tasks will in practice be accomplished within one working day. The average performance achieved with the TrackPad for the eight tasks with Fitts's Test, during the last session, was lower than that with the mouse, but the difference was not statistically significant. The results of this study indicate that the TrackPad can be used for everyday tasks without causing postural discomfort or fatigue. In some respects, this device may even be preferable to the mouse, if the users can achieve the same level of performance. Keywords: Input device, TrackPad, Touchpad, Postural discomfort, EMG | |||
| BITS: Browsing in Time and Space | | BIBAK | HTML | 248-249 | |
| Antonio Eduardo Dias; Joao Pedro Silva; Antonio S. Camara | |||
| Virtual ecosystems are virtual worlds representing real ecosystems. Humans
have a limited perception of space and time and are poorly equipped to handle
the flow of information generated in such environments. This paper focuses on
the creation of an interface, BITS (Browsing In Time and Space), that allows
users to browse through such a complex virtual world, interact with its objects
and take notes. The pen and note-pad metaphor is used in an intuitive way,
replicating a real pen and note-pad. A new concept of the use of this metaphor
arises with the use of the space and time sliders. Keywords: Virtual reality, Pen-based input, Metaphors, User interface components,
Virtual ecosystems, Browsing in time and space | |||
| Translucent History | | BIBAK | HTML | 250-251 | |
| Andreas Genau; Axel Kramer | |||
| This paper presents an approach that visualizes object history by using
translucent presentations. It extends the typical sequential presentation of
an object history by a concurrent presentation of the object contents through
time.
Our goal is to enable the fluid refinement and animation of graphically presented ideas while exposing the changes to objects as a whole and not just in discrete steps. Translucency, as a mechanism, works particularly well if the object content is sufficiently spatially distributed. Keywords: Versioning, History-mechanism, Translucency, Interface metaphor, Pen-based
interface | |||
| Scribbler: A Tool for Searching Digital Ink | | BIBAK | HTML | 252-253 | |
| Alex Poon; Karon Weber; Todd Cass | |||
| Scribbler is a tool that enables users to search untranslated digital ink
for target patterns such as words, symbols and simple sketches. By matching
the raw stroke data instead of performing traditional handwriting recognition,
Scribbler allows users to write quickly and naturally without being constrained
to a particular writing style or a limited set of dictionary terms. This paper
gives a brief description of the current implementation of Scribbler and
discusses the results of a controlled experiment run to evaluate the matching
engine's effectiveness. Keywords: Pen-based input, Digital ink, Information retrieval, Handwriting
recognition, Handwriting matching | |||
| A Virtual Oval Keyboard and a Vector Input Method for Pen-Based Character Input | | BIBAK | HTML | 254-255 | |
| Minako Hashimoto; Masatomo Togasi | |||
| This paper proposes a virtual oval keyboard whose shape is designed on the
basis of the easily pointed area with a pen, and a vector input method where
user can input both a vector and its origin with one wedge-shaped stroke.
Since the shape of conventional virtual keyboards, a rectangle, is not suitable
for rotational movement of a wrist, it forces much strain upon the wrist. And
since non-alphabet keys frequently used in typing English texts, such as space,
are assigned on the outside of alphabet key area on the conventional virtual
keyboards, it is necessary to move the wrist excessively. The virtual oval
keyboard fits a natural movement of a wrist, because a reclined oval is
obtained as the easily pointed area by our experiment. In our preliminary
experiment for evaluation, all subjects input faster with the virtual oval
keyboard than with a conventional virtual keyboard. In the vector input
method, four kinds of vectors enable users to input space, carriage return,
back space and SHIFT at any position without moving a pen out of the alphabet
key area. Keywords: Virtual oval keyboard, Vector input method, Wedge-shaped stroke, Pen-based
character input | |||
| MEMO-PEN: A New Input Device | | BIBAK | HTML | 256-257 | |
| Shinji Nabeshima; Shinichirou Yamamoto; Kiyoshi Agusa; Toshio Taguchi | |||
| We have developed a new input device, named MEMO-PEN. The MEMO-PEN is an
ordinary ball point pen except for a capability of memorizing what it draws in
itself. We can hold the handwriting in computers as it has been, and we can
treat it as image data for favorite application. The pen is carrying a small
CCD close to its tip to capture a series of not whole but partial snapshots in
its memory. This paper presents a brief description of the MEMO-PEN system and
an experiment on reconstructing a whole image from the partial snapshots. We
also show that we can satisfactorily work out a whole image for 80% of more
than 50 examples. Keywords: Pen-based input, Input device, Pointing device | |||
| Give and Take: Children Collaborating on One Computer | | BIBAK | HTML | 258-259 | |
| Kori Inkpen; Kellogg S. Booth; Steven D. Gribble; Maria Klawe | |||
| When two children work together on one computer, it is necessary for them to
share the input devices. This study examines the effects of having multiple
mice with two different control passing protocols: Give and Take. The results
suggest that having two mice instead of a single mouse affects the performance
of a pair of children playing on a shared computer. This result was gender
dependent in that girls solved the most puzzles in the Give condition while
boys solved the most puzzles in the Take condition. Moreover, boys in the Take
condition exhibited a larger number of exchanges of control than all other
experimental conditions. Keywords: CSCL, CSCW, Input devices, Interaction styles, Computers in education,
Children | |||
| Community Help: Discovering Tools and Locating Experts in a Dynamic Environment | | BIBAK | HTML | 260-261 | |
| Carlos Maltzahn | |||
| In a research community each researcher knows only a small fraction of the
vast number of tools offered in the continually changing environment of local
computer networks. Since the on-line or off-line documentation for these tools
poorly support people in finding the best tool for a given task, users prefer
to ask colleagues. However, finding the right person to ask can be time
consuming and asking questions can reveal incompetence. In this paper we
present an architecture to a community sensitive help system which actively
collects information about Unix tools by tapping into accounting information
generated by the operating system and by interviewing users that are selected
on the basis of collected information. The result is a help system that
continually seeks to update itself, that contains information that is entirely
based on the community's perspective on tools, and that consequently grows with
the community and its dynamic environment. Keywords: Group work, Help systems, Group memory, Unix, Research environments | |||
| Timespace in the Workplace: Dealing with Interruptions | | BIBAK | HTML | 262-263 | |
| Brid O'Conaill; David Frohlich | |||
| We report findings from an observational study on the nature of
interruptions in the workplace. The results show that in most cases, (64%),
the recipient received some benefit from the interruption. However in just
over 40% of interruptions the recipient did not resume the work they were doing
prior to the interruption. Some implications for time management and
communication technology are presented. Keywords: Interruptions, Workplace communication, CSCW, Ethnography | |||
| Parallel Design in the Classroom | | BIBAK | HTML | 264-265 | |
| Saila Ovaska; Kari-Jouko Raiha | |||
| In parallel design the main goal is to produce design ideas worth
investigating further. We have used a design problem previously solved by
three experts as the term assignment in our HCI class. We discuss the wealth
of solutions produced by the students and their relationship to the expert
solutions. Together, the students could come up with more interesting ideas
than the experts. On the other hand, for choosing one solution for further
development the expert solutions stood out. Keywords: Parallel design, Expert and novice designers, HCI education | |||
| Why are Computer Manuals So Bad? | | BIBAK | HTML | 266-267 | |
| Charles Woodson | |||
| Two experiments examined the utility of restructured help information as an
aid to new users learning the UNIX commands trn and tin. In both experiments,
the help information was reorganized to reflect the conceptual model or mental
organization inferred from users response to questions, rather than the
dictionary-like organization favored by programmers. A retention test showed
higher scores on questions about the program, and student ratings indicated a
higher opinion of the instruction they received, greater self-confidence in
their knowledge.
This paper concludes that the difficulties new users have with most computer manuals is the lack of correspondence between the user's schemata or mental model of the task, and the programmers conceptualization of the task upon which the manual is usually based. Keywords: Mental models, Computer manuals, Documentation, User training, Online help,
Educational applications | |||
| Reducing Visual Stress Symptoms of VDT Users with Prescription Eyeglasses | | BIBAK | HTML | 268-269 | |
| Erik Nilsen; David Fencsik; Aidan Smith; Linda Solares; Scott Stratton | |||
| The use of Video Display Terminals (VDT's) in modern information processing
environments is associated with a variety of visual stress symptoms including
eye strain, headaches, blurry vision and neck/shoulder pain. This study
evaluates a method of prescribing computer specific glasses to improve vision
and reduce symptoms. Thirty-seven computer users who suffer from VDT related
visual symptoms wore two pairs of prescription eyeglasses for two weeks each in
a double blind crossover experiment. The experimental glasses were prescribed
using a Gaussian image testing device and the control glasses were prescribed
using a standard paper Snellen chart. Data was collected on the frequency and
severity of symptoms in their regular work environment as well as in a
controlled laboratory setting. Results indicate that the experimental
eyeglasses were preferred overall (p<.05). Visual stress symptoms were
significantly reduced in frequency and severity for the eyeglasses prescribed
using the Gaussian image testing device. Keywords: VDT, Eye strain, Visual symptoms | |||
| Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave: Metaphor and Mapping in Graphical Interfaces | | BIBAK | HTML | 270-271 | |
| William W. Gaver | |||
| The relations among graphical representations, computer functionality, and
everyday objects are more complex than terms like "the desktop metaphor" may
suggest. While metaphors in the everyday world highlight similarities between
preexisting entities, interface metaphors create new ones. New computer
entities can also be created without metaphor, when existing elements are
combined by conceptual structuring. Naming such constructs, however, may
involve yet another metaphor, between the functionality suggested graphically
and that implied by the name. In sum, interface representations -- which can
only be called "metaphors" metaphorically -- are complex and confusing, but
this leads to a flexibility and power that may be lost if simpler mappings are
used. Keywords: Mapping, Metaphor, Semiotics | |||
| To Influence Time Perception | | BIBAK | HTML | 272-273 | |
| Erik Geelhoed; Peter Toft; Suzanne Roberts; Patrick Hyland | |||
| Within IT there are no studies on how to reduce waiting time perception. We
demonstrate the relevance of this issue within the context of synchronous voice
and data communication and conclude that waiting time perception can be
reduced. Keywords: CSCW, Time perception, User interface | |||
| A Poor Quality Video Link Affects Speech But Not Gaze | | BIBAK | HTML | 274-275 | |
| Andrew F. Monk; Leon Watts | |||
| Thirty two members of the general public worked remotely from one another in
pairs on some simple joint tasks. All the pairs had high quality audio links
and were able to see one another's faces through an on-screen video image. For
half the pairs this image was small (40 x 65 mm) and for the other half it was
large (103 x 140mm). The conversations were analysed in terms of gaze focus
(looking at the video image or elsewhere) and speech (speaking or silent). It
is concluded that the small video image results in more formal and less fluent
verbal interaction but gaze behaviour is unaltered. Keywords: Video communication, CSCW, Analysis of conversation | |||
| Improved Reasoning with Convince Me | | BIBAK | HTML | 276-277 | |
| Patricia Schank; Michael Ranney | |||
| This paper describes Convince Me, a tool for generating and analyzing
arguments. Results indicate that the system makes people better reasoners
while they employ it, and yields transfer to situations unsupported by the
software. Keywords: Connectionism, Reasoning, Instruction | |||
| Looking and Lingering as Conversational Cues in Video-Mediated Communication | | BIBA | HTML | 278-279 | |
| Herbert L. Colston; Diane J. Schiano | |||
| A study is described in which observers rated the difficulty people had in solving problems, based either upon simply how long the person looked at each problem, or also how long his or her gaze lingered on it after being instructed to move on. Initial results show a linear relationship between gaze duration and rated difficulty, with lingering as an added significant factor. These findings are discussed in terms of the role(s) gaze cues play in tracking understanding in conversations, with implications for the design of video-mediated communication (VMC) systems. | |||
| Dynamic What-If Analysis: Exploring Computational Dependencies with Slidercells and Micrographs | | BIBAK | HTML | 280-281 | |
| Staffan Truve | |||
| The use of spreadsheets for what-if analyses can be simplified by allowing
cell values to be set by small sliders and displayed as micro-graphs. The
sliders define a range in which a cell value will be varied, and the graphs
illustrate how other cell values vary when the slider-cell has a value in that
range. The resulting mode of operation emphasizes interaction between the
system and the user in searching for a desirable value of a cell, and also
illustrates the stability of that value by showing the value in a context
around it. Keywords: Spreadsheet, Dynamic queries, What-if analysis | |||
| A Comparison of Four Navigation Techniques in a 2D Browsing Task | | BIBAK | HTML | 282-283 | |
| Victor Kaptelinin | |||
| Four window navigation techniques were compared in the experiment: scroll
bars, dragging, and two modifications of a "bird's eye view." It was found that
standard scroll bar navigation was associated with the slowest performance and
was rated by the subjects as least preferable. The best performance and the
highest preference ranks were observed under the "bird's eye view" conditions.
Individual differences between subjects and the potential role of task
specificity are discussed. Keywords: Windows, Navigation techniques | |||
| The Effect of Computer Experience on Subjective and Objective Software Usability Measures | | BIBA | HTML | 284-285 | |
| George V. Kissel | |||
| In the user-centered approach to software design and development, end-users act as evaluators in usability tests at various points during the development life-cycle. Some usability professionals argue that these usability tests simply reflect the preferences of the participants and should not be used in place of objective performance measures. In an attempt to strengthen the validity of the user-centered approach, the present study examined the association between subjective preference measures and objective performance measures in relation to the user's hardware and software use and familiarity. The results suggest that not only do the subjective ratings of end-user evaluators often differ from objective performance measures, but also that this relationship is dependent on the user's past computer experience. | |||
| Apple Guide: A Case Study in User-Aided Design of Online Help | | BIBAK | HTML | 286-287 | |
| Kevin Knabe | |||
| Apple Guide, the new online help system in Macintosh system software,
provides a standard human interface to online help on the Macintosh. It is the
culmination of extensive study at Apple of how users can work most effectively
with online help. This paper summarizes several of the major studies in
Apple's research, briefly describing the research methods used, major findings,
and how those findings contributed to the design of Apple Guide. Keywords: Online help, User studies, Instructional design | |||
| Why are Geographic Information Systems Hard to Use? | | BIBAK | HTML | 288-289 | |
| Carol Traynor; Marian G. Williams | |||
| Geographic Information System (GIS) software evolved out of the fields of
geography, cartography, and database management. As a result, off-the-shelf
GIS software requires the user to have or to acquire considerable knowledge of
these fields. Navigation through the interfaces of most off-the-shelf GIS
software is difficult because they support a system architecture view, rather
than a view of the user's work. These problems are compounded for users with
little computing experience. In many workplaces, a single technical user
becomes the local GIS expert, and acts as a surrogate for other users who have
neither the expertise to use the software nor the resources to acquire that
expertise. In this paper, we summarize our analysis of what makes GIS so hard
to use, and describe our research directions toward designing effective GIS
software for non-specialist users. Keywords: Geographic information systems, Participatory design, Task analysis | |||
| User Action Graphing Effort (UsAGE) | | BIBAK | HTML | 290-291 | |
| Dana Uehling; Karl Wolf | |||
| This paper describes a prototype usability test tool which will automate
detection of serious usability problems. The tool records the actions that a
user makes while performing a predefined application task. Currently the tool
supports only user interfaces created with TAE Plus.
Prior to a usability testing session, an "expert" user is recorded performing a task. The recording becomes a performance baseline. Later, during actual usability testing, a "novice" user is recorded performing the same task. The action recordings of the two users are then compared by the tool and the comparison results are shown graphically. The hypothesis is that by graphically comparing the actions of an expert and average novice users, a usability analyst can quickly figure out where usability problems (e.g. confusion with menu choices) arise with the user interface. Keywords: Usability testing, User interface design, TAE Plus | |||
| Apparent Usability vs. Inherent Usability: Experimental Analysis on the Determinants of the Apparent Usability | | BIBAK | HTML | 292-293 | |
| Masaaki Kurosu; Kaori Kashimura | |||
| Correlational analysis of the evaluation data of the apparent usability with
the inherent usability measures revealed that the apparent usability is more
strongly affected by the aesthetic aspects than the inherent usability. Keywords: Usability, Screen layout | |||
| Diagram Entry Mechanisms in Graphical Environments | | BIBA | HTML | 294-295 | |
| Wayne Citrin; Jeffrey D. McWhirter | |||
| Although great strides have been made in the last 10-15 years in the development of systems that use graphical representations, very little work has been done in developing systems that help users input and edit diagrams efficiently. This paper describes an ongoing project addressing the design of one such feature of a graphical editor: diagram entry. We show how knowledge of the syntax and semantics of the language being edited allows us to design a more intelligent diagram entry facility. | |||
| 3D Painting: Paradigms for Painting in a New Dimension | | BIBAK | HTML | 296-297 | |
| Julie Daily; Kenneth Kiss | |||
| This paper describes the design process of an innovative digital 3D paint
program. The system enables industrial designers to paint surface details
directly on rough 3D models for the first time. Contextual inquiry into
designers' work inspired a real-world metaphor of painting a physical model.
This provided the foundation for making 3D tools as natural to use as 2D.
Familiar 2D digital painting paradigms, such as brushes, layers, and masks,
were extended to 3 dimensions without adding complexity to the interface. Our
informal evaluation sessions have shown that with a cursory introduction,
designers who have never seen the interface were able to paint 3D models as
easily as they could sketch. Keywords: 3D painting, Contextual inquiry, Direct manipulation, Texture mapping | |||
| Some Effects of Angle of Approach on Icon Selection | | BIBAK | HTML | 298-299 | |
| Thomas G. Whisenand; Henry H. Emurian | |||
| Over the past decade, research related to various aspects of human-computer
interactions has become increasingly prominent within the human factors field.
In that regard, the speed and accuracy of human motor movements associated with
computer input devices has often been modeled by Fitts' law. However, most
such analyses have not considered the angle of movement as a factor.
Accordingly, the present study investigated the effects of the angle of
approach for a mouse as the input device to select icon-like targets presented
on a VDT. The angle of approach had a significant effect on movement time. Keywords: Icon selection, Fitts' Law, Input devices, Human performance modeling | |||
| Color Adaptive Graphics: What You See in Your Color Palette Isn't What You Get! | | BIBAK | HTML | 300-301 | |
| Suguru Ishizaki | |||
| The color you perceive in a typical color palette is always different from
the color you perceive when it is used in your color document because of
simultaneous color contrast effect -- a phenomenon in which humans perceive the
same physical color differently against different background. The effect is
particularly problematic in the visual design of information graphics, in terms
of its reliability and communicative quality. This paper presents a prototype
of a color adaptive graphic system where simultaneous contrast effect is
automatically adjusted such that the color perceived in a palette is preserved
when it is used against various background colors. Keywords: Color, Simultaneous contrast, Color palette, Visual communication,
Information graphics | |||
| Mark Your Calendar! Learning Personalized Annotation from Integrated Sketch and Speech | | BIBAK | HTML | 302-303 | |
| Robin L. Kullberg | |||
| An intelligent agent learns the user's personal sketch annotations by
gathering, integrating, and interpreting sketch and speech input. This
agent-assisted, multi-modal interaction affords a natural and adaptable
approach to graphical annotation of a personal datebook. Keywords: Multi-modal interface, Sketch input, Speech input, Interaction design,
Intelligent learning agent | |||
| Hyperbolic User Interfaces for Computer Aided Architectural Design | | BIBAK | HTML | 304-305 | |
| Volkmar Hovestadt; Oliver Gramberg; Oliver Deussen | |||
| We present basic ideas and a prototypical implementation of a graphical user
interface intended for the architectural design process. The interface
integrates CAD-like object manipulation and navigation through large data sets.
Navigation and working area are not separated as done in prior work. Geometric
transformations produce a deformed but controllable display of the data in the
border area of the working window while normal working is possible in the
untransformed center. The arrangement allows the user to shift directly from
construction tasks to navigation tasks. Data reduction techniques have been
implemented in order to reduce the cost of transformation and display. Keywords: Computer Aided Architectural Design (CAAD), Information visualization,
Fisheye technique, Focus+Context technique, Interaction | |||
| An Experimental Evaluation of Video Support for Shared Work-Space Interaction | | BIBAK | HTML | 306-307 | |
| Mark Apperley; Masood Masoodian | |||
| An experimental evaluation of video support for shared work-space software
is described. Groups of two users worked simultaneously and cooperatively on a
problem using Aspects on Macintosh computers in one of four scenarios. Each of
these scenarios provided a different form of supplementary communication: audio
only, reduced frame-rate video, standard video, and full face-to-face
communication. Although the audio link had been found to be essential in an
earlier pilot study, in this experiment there was no discernible difference in
performance between any of the four scenarios. Nevertheless, users indicated
that they were more comfortable with the face-to-face situation. Keywords: CSCW, Video, Evaluation, Shared work-space | |||
| Voicefax: A Shared Workspace for Voicemail Partners | | BIBAK | HTML | 308-309 | |
| David Frohlich; Owen Daly-Jones | |||
| We report a pen-based study in which we provided voicefax facilities for the
recording of animated voice, writing and gesture on a document background. The
findings reflect some cumulative benefits of combining written and spoken media
for asynchronous communication. Keywords: Multimedia messaging, Asynchronous communication, Workspace, Annotation,
Voicemail, Fax, Pen | |||
| Exploring Tabla Drumming Using Rhythmic Input | | BIBAK | HTML | 310-311 | |
| jae Hun Roh; Lynn Wilcox | |||
| We describe a system that enables the use of rhythmic input for exploring
Indian tabla drumming. Rhythms drummed by the user on a pair of drum pads are
mapped to tabla phrases using a hidden Markov model based recognizer. The
recognized tabla phrases are played back to the user, while an animated visual
representation of the phrase is displayed. Keywords: Multi-media, Tactile or gestural I/O, Auditory I/O, Intelligent systems,
Educational applications, Music applications | |||
| An Empirical Study of Collaborative Wearable Computer Systems | | BIBAK | HTML | 312-313 | |
| Jane Siegel; Robert E. Kraut; Bonnie E. John; Kathleen M. Carley | |||
| We report an empirical study of aircraft maintenance workers using wearable
visual interfaces and collaborative systems to support troubleshooting and
repair work. Preliminary results suggest gains in coordination and ease of
work when users have shared hypertext, video and audio capability. Study
results are being used to inform design and rapid prototyping of wearable
systems for use in vehicle maintenance systems. Keywords: Wearable computers, Empirical studies, Collaborative work, Vehicle
maintenance | |||
| Pointing on a Computer Display | | BIBAK | HTML | 314-315 | |
| Evan Graham; Christine L. MacKenzie | |||
| Pointing movements with the hand were used to control directly a cursor to
point to targets on a graphical display with different gain settings. A
detailed analysis of both the cursor and hand movements showed how features of
the movements scale over a wide range of distances and target widths. Cursor
movements showed gain effects, while hand movements were relatively unaffected
by gain. The results suggest that considering the behaviour of the hand,
rather than the cursor, will lead to more effective modelling of human
performance with certain types of pointing devices. Keywords: Human performance modelling, Input devices, Fitts' law, Pointing | |||
| Negative Inertia: A Dynamic Pointing Function | | BIBAK | HTML | 316-317 | |
| R. C. Barrett; E. J. Selker; J. D. Rutledge; R. S. Olyha | |||
| In-keyboard isometric joysticks can give better performance than mice for
mixed typing/pointing tasks. The continuing challenge is to improve such
devices to the point that they are preferable even for pure pointing tasks.
Previous work has improved joystick performance by considering user perception
and motor skills. This paper considers the dynamics of the pointing operation.
A dynamic transfer function for an isometric joystick is described which
amplifies changes in the applied force to increase responsiveness without loss
of control. User tests show a 7.8 +/- 3.5% performance improvement over a
standard non-dynamic joystick. This feature has been incorporated into the
TrackPoint III from IBM. Keywords: Pointing devices, Isometric joystick, Transfer functions, Index of
performance | |||
| The Audible Web: Auditory Enhancements for Mosaic | | BIBAK | HTML | 318-319 | |
| Michael C. Albers; Eric Bergman | |||
| Interest in the World-Wide Web (WWW), a collection of hypermedia information
distributed across the Internet, has exploded with the advent of Mosaic, a
graphical user interface for navigating the WWW. In spite of Mosaic's
popularity, studies have found usability problems in the original interface,
especially with regard to feedback, terminology, and adherence to GUI
guidelines [2,4]. This paper reports on a preliminary investigation of
auditory feedback as one approach to enhancing Mosaic's user interface. The
Audible Web is Mosaic embedded with non-speech auditory cues intended to aid
user monitoring of data transfer progress, provide feedback for user actions,
and to provide content feedback to aid navigation of the WWW. Keywords: Auditory interface, World-Wide Web, WWW, Mosaic user interface, Mosaic, WWW
browsers | |||
| A New Paradigm for Browsing the Web | | BIBAK | HTML | 320-321 | |
| Marc H. Brown; Robert A. Shillner | |||
| This paper introduces DeckScape, a World-Wide Web browser based on a "deck"
metaphor. A deck is a collection of Web pages; as the user traverses links,
new pages appear on top of the current deck. All retrievals are done using a
background thread, so the visible pages in all decks remain active at all
times. Users can circulate through the pages in a deck, move and copy pages
between decks, and so on. Our primary innovation is the use of decks as a
general-purpose way to organize material such as hotlists, query results, and
breadth-first expansions. Keywords: Interactive user interfaces, Information navigation, Interaction techniques,
World-Wide Web, Mosaic | |||
| CyberBELT: Multi-Modal Interaction with a Multi-Threaded Documentary | | BIBAK | HTML | 322-323 | |
| Joshua Bers; Sara Elo; Sherry Lassiter; David Tames | |||
| CyberBELT allows a viewer to interact with a multi-threaded documentary
using a multi-modal interface. The viewer interacts with the documentary by
speaking, pointing and looking around the display. The viewer selects the
threads of the story to follow or lets the system navigate through the story.
Feedback from the viewer evolves the story to present concepts she is
interested in. We discuss the suitability of combining multi-modal interaction
and multi-threaded narrative. Keywords: Multi-modal interaction, Interactive documentary, Information exploration,
Dynamic story-telling system | |||
| VGrep: A Graphical Tool for the Exploration of Textual Documents | | BIBAK | HTML | 324-325 | |
| Jeffrey D. McWhirter | |||
| Discovering the content and structure of textual files through keyword based
search is a common task of computer users. However, the results of such a
search is often difficult to understand and to use. This paper describes
VGrep, a tool that facilitates keyword based search through large textual
documents. VGrep provides the ability to formulate queries and present the
results of the queries in an abstract graphical representation. Keywords: Word search, Visualization | |||
| Showing the Context of Nodes in the World-Wide Web | | BIBAK | HTML | 326-327 | |
| Sougata Mukherjea; James D. Foley | |||
| This paper talks about a method to show the context of nodes in the
World-Wide Web. World-Wide Web presents a lot of information to the user.
Consequently, it suffers from the famous lost in hyperspace problem. One way
to solve the problem is to show the user where they are in the context of the
overall information space. Since the overall information space is large, we
need to show the node's context with respect to only the important nodes. In
this paper we discuss our method of showing the context and show some examples
of our implementation. Keywords: Hypermedia, Visualization, Structural analysis, World-Wide Web | |||
| Interaction Design for Shared World-Wide Web Annotations | | BIBAK | HTML | 328-329 | |
| Martin Rscheisen; Christian Mogensen; Terry Winograd | |||
| We describe the interaction design for a set of facilities that enable users
of an augmented version of the NCSA Mosaic browser to read, write, and filter
for annotations on arbitrary segments of World-Wide Web documents, and share
them with any other such user. Keywords: Mosaic, World-Wide Web, Group annotation, Collaborative filtering, Seal of
approval | |||