| Self Disclosure on Computer Forms: Meta-Analysis and Implications | | BIBAK | HTML | 3-10 | |
| Suzanne Weisband; Sara Kiesler | |||
| Do people disclose more on a computer form than they do in an interview or
on a paper form? We report a statistical meta-analysis of the literature from
1969 to 1994. Across 39 studies using 100 measures, computer administration
increased self-disclosure. Effect sizes were larger comparing computer
administration with face-to-face interviews, when forms solicited sensitive
information, and when medical or psychiatric patients were the subjects.
Effect sizes were smaller but had not disappeared in recent studies, which we
attribute in part to changes in computer interfaces. We discuss research,
ethical, policy, and design implications. Keywords: Computer forms, Computer interviews, Electronic surveys, Measurement,
Disclosure, Response bias, Electronic communication | |||
| The Design and Long-Term Use of a Personal Electronic Notebook: A Reflective Analysis | | BIBAK | 11-18 | |
| Thomas Erickson | |||
| This article describes the design and use of a personal electronic notebook.
The findings provide a useful data point for those interested in the issue of
how to design highly customizable systems for managing personal information.
After a description of the notebook's interface and the usage practices that
have co-evolved with the interface, I discuss some of the features that have
made the notebook useful over the long term, and trends in the evolution of the
design. Keywords: Electronic notebooks, Personal information management, Customization,
Tailoring, Longitudinal study, Reflective analysis, Co-evolution of design and
practice | |||
| Technomethodology: Paradoxes and Possibilities | | BIBAK | HTML | 19-26 | |
| Graham Button; Paul Dourish | |||
| The design of CSCW systems has often had its roots in ethnomethodological
understandings of work and investigations of working settings. Increasingly,
we are also seeing these ideas applied to critique and inform HCI design more
generally. However, the attempt to design from the basis of ethnomethodology
is fraught with methodological dangers. In particular, ethnomethodology's
overriding concern with the detail of practice poses some serious problems when
attempts are made to design around such understandings. In this paper, we
discuss the range and application of ethnomethodological investigations of
technology in working settings, describe how ethnomethodologically-affiliated
work has approached system design and discuss ways that ethnomethodology can
move from design critique to design practice: the advent of technomethodology. Keywords: Ethnography, Ethnomethodology, Design practice, Methodology, Accounts,
Abstraction | |||
| Does Animation in User Interfaces Improve Decision Making? | | BIBAK | 27-34 | |
| Cleotilde Gonzalez | |||
| This paper reports a laboratory experiment that investigated the relative
effects of images, transitions, and interactivity styles used in animated
interfaces in two decision making domains. Interfaces used either realistic or
abstract images, smooth or abrupt transitions, and parallel or sequential
interactivity. Results suggest that decision making performance is influenced
by the task domain, the user experience, the image, transition, and
interactivity styles used in animated interfaces. Subjects performed better
with animated interfaces based on realistic rather than abstract images.
Subjects were more accurate with smooth rather than abrupt animation. Subjects
were more accurate and enjoyed more the animation with parallel rather than
sequential interactivity. Implications on the design of animated interfaces
for decision making are provided. Keywords: Animation, Decision making | |||
| Assessing the Effect of Non-Photorealistic Rendered Images in CAD | | BIBAK | HTML | 35-41 | |
| Jutta Schumann; Thomas Strothotte; Andreas Raab; Stefan Laser | |||
| Recent work in computer graphics has resulted in new techniques for
rendering so-called non-photorealistic images. While such features are now
already appearing in commercially available software, little is known about the
effect of non-photorealistic images on users and their usefulness in specific
contexts.
In this paper we report on an empirical study with 54 architects who compared the output of a sketch-renderer for producing pencil-like drawings with standard output of CAD systems for architectural designs. The results show that the different kinds of renditions actually have a very different effect on viewers and that non-photorealistic images actually do deserve their place in the repertoire of CAD systems. Keywords: Non-photorealistic rendering, Architectural presentation, Preliminary
drafts, Sketches, CAD | |||
| Gratuitous Graphics? Putting Preferences in Perspective | | BIBAK | HTML | 42-49 | |
| Ellen Levy; Jeff Zacks; Barbara Tversky; Diane Schiano | |||
| Rapid growth in 3-D rendering technologies has deluged us with glitzy
graphical representations. In what contexts do people find 3-D graphs of 2-D
data both attractive and useful?
We examine students' preferences for graphical display formats under several use scenarios. Line graphs were preferred more for conveying trends than details, and more for promoting memorability than for immediate use; bar graphs showed the opposite pattern. 3-D graphs were preferred more for depicting details than trends, more for memorability than immediate use, and more for showing others than oneself. The reverse held for 2-D graphs. Keywords: Visualization, Spatial representation, 3-D graphics, User interface design | |||
| Beating the Limitations of Camera-Monitor Mediated Telepresence with Extra Eyes | | BIBAK | HTML | 50-57 | |
| Kimiya Yamaashi; Jeremy R. Cooperstock; Tracy Narine; William Buxton | |||
| In physical presence, you are most aware of your immediate surroundings,
such as what is at your feet or who is beside you, and less aware of objects
further away. In telepresence, almost the opposite is true. Due to the nature
of the medium, you are most aware of what is in front, often at a distance, as
dictated by the limited view of the camera. Even where remote camera control
is possible, the range of exploration is limited and the logistics of control
are typically awkward and slow. All of this adds up to a pronounced loss of
awareness of the periphery in telepresence.
The research described here attempts to compensate for these problems through two mechanisms. First, we provide telepresence users with two separate views, one wide-angle and the other, a controllable, detailed view. To simplify navigation, the two views are seamlessly linked together, so that selecting a region of one will have an effect in the other. Second, we utilize sensor information from the remote location to provide the user with notification of relevant events that may require attention. Together, these tools significantly enhance users' awareness of their telepresence surroundings. Keywords: Telepresence, Teleconferencing, CSCW, Multimedia | |||
| Talk and Embodiment in Collaborative Virtual Environments | | BIBAK | HTML | 58-65 | |
| John Bowers; James Pycock; Jon O'Brien | |||
| This paper presents some qualitative, interpretative analyses of social
interaction in an internationally distributed, real-time, multi-party meeting
held within a collaborative virtual environment (CVE). The analyses reveal
some systematic problems with turn taking and participation in such
environments. We also examine how the simple polygonal shapes by means of
which users were represented and embodied in the environment are deployed in
social interaction. Strikingly, some familiar coordinations of body movement
are observed even though such embodiments are very minimal shapes. The paper
concludes with some suggestions for technical development, derived from the
empirical analyses, which might enhance interactivity in virtual worlds for
collaboration and cooperative work. Keywords: Conversation analysis, Interaction analysis, Body movement, Embodiment,
Virtual reality, CSCW | |||
| Emacspeak -- A Speech Interface | | BIBAK | HTML | 66-71 | |
| T. V. Raman | |||
| Screen-readers -- computer software that enables a visually impaired user to
read the contents of a visual display -- have been available for more than a
decade. Screen-readers are separate from the user application. Consequently,
they have little or no contextual information about the contents of the
display. The author has used traditional screen-reading applications for the
last five years. The design of the speech-enabling approach described here has
been implemented in Emacspeak to overcome many of the shortcomings he has
encountered with traditional screen-readers.
The approach used by Emacspeak is very different from that of traditional screen-readers. Screen-readers allow the user to listen to the contents appearing in different parts of the display; but the user is entirely responsible for building a mental model of the visual display in order to interpret what an application is trying to convey. Emacspeak, on the other hand, does not speak the screen. Instead, applications provide both visual and speech feedback, and the speech feedback is designed to be sufficient by itself. This approach reduces cognitive load on the user and is relevant to providing general spoken access to information. Producing spoken output from within the application, rather than speaking the visually displayed information, vastly improves the quality of the spoken feedback. Thus, an application can display its results in a visually pleasing manner; the speech-enabling component renders the same in an aurally pleasing way. Keywords: Speech interface, Direct access, Spoken feedback, Audio formatting, Speech
as a first-class I/O medium | |||
| Audio Enhanced 3D Interfaces for Visually Impaired Users | | BIBAK | HTML | 72-78 | |
| Stephen W. Mereu; Rick Kazman | |||
| Three dimensional computer applications such as CAD packages are often
difficult to use because of inadequate depth feedback to the user. It has,
however, been shown that audio feedback can help improve a user's sense of
depth perception. This paper describes an experiment which evaluates the use
of three different audio environments in a 3D task undertaken by visually
impaired users. The three audio environments map tonal, musical, and
orchestral sounds to an (x, y, z) position in a 3D environment. In each
environment the user's task is to locate a target in three dimensions as
accurately and quickly as possible. This experiment has three important
results: that audio feedback improves performance in 3D applications for all
users; that visually impaired users can use 3D applications with the accuracy
of sighted users; and that visually impaired users can attain greater target
accuracy than sighted users in a sound-only environment. Keywords: User interface, Auditory interface, Disability access, 3D interface | |||
| Dual Device User Interface Design: PDAs and Interactive Television | | BIBAK | HTML | 79-86 | |
| Scott Robertson; Cathleen Wharton; Catherine Ashworth; Marita Franzke | |||
| Computing environments which involve many interacting devices are a
challenge for system and user interface designers. A prototype of a
multiple-device application consisting of a personal digital assistant (PDA)
that operates in conjunction with interactive television (ITV) was developed
from user requirements for a real estate information service. The application
is used both as a stand-alone service and in conjunction with a television.
Users interact exclusively with the PDA. The television responds to PDA output
and is used for the presentation of visual images and videos. In this paper
the application is described and user interface design issues that arise in the
context of multiple device systems are discussed. Keywords: Personal digital assistants (PDA), Interactive television (ITV), Ubiquitous
computing, Mobile computing, Multiple devices | |||
| Pen Computing for Air Traffic Control | | BIBAK | HTML | 87-94 | |
| Stephane Chatty Patrick Lecoanet | |||
| Modernizing workstations for air traffic controllers is a challenge:
designers must increase efficiency without affecting safety in any way. Air
traffic control is a time-intensive and safety-critical activity, and thus
interaction efficiency and low error rates are crucial. Classical interaction
techniques have been used in prototype workstations, but the resulting
efficiency is not always satisfactory. This leads designers to consider more
advanced interaction techniques. This paper reports on the design and a
preliminary evaluation of the first prototype of project IMAGINE, which
represents the second generation of graphical interfaces for air traffic
control. This prototype, GRIGRI, uses a high resolution touch screen and
provides mark based input through the screen. The use of gestures, as well as
the use of multi-modal techniques, make interaction faster, and closer to the
controllers' habits. Keywords: Air traffic control, Gesture recognition, Mark-based input, Pen computing,
Touch-screen, Direct manipulation, Prototyping | |||
| Multimodal Interfaces for Dynamic Interactive Maps | | BIBAK | HTML | 95-102 | |
| Sharon Oviatt | |||
| Dynamic interactive maps with transparent but powerful human interface
capabilities are beginning to emerge for a variety of geographical information
systems, including ones situated on portables for travelers, students, business
and service people, and others working in field settings. In the present
research, interfaces supporting spoken, pen-based, and multimodal input were
analyze for their potential effectiveness in interacting with this new
generation of map systems. Input modality (speech, writing, multimodal) and
map display format (highly versus minimally structured) were varied in a
within-subject factorial design as people completed realistic tasks with a
simulated map system. The results identified a constellation of performance
difficulties associated with speech-only map interactions, including elevated
performance errors, spontaneous disfluencies, and lengthier task completion
time -- problems that declined substantially when people could interact
multimodally with the map. These performance advantages also mirrored a strong
user preference to interact multimodally. The error-proneness and
unacceptability of speech-only input to maps was attributed in large part to
people's difficulty generating spoken descriptions of spatial location.
Analyses also indicated that map display format can be used to minimize
performance errors and disfluencies, and map interfaces that guide users'
speech toward brevity can nearly eliminate disfluencies. Implications of this
research are discussed for the design of high-performance multimodal interfaces
for future map systems. Keywords: Multimodal interface design, Dynamic interactive maps, Spoken, Pen-based,
and multimodal input, Predictive modeling, Robust processing | |||
| Using the Web Instead of a Window System | | BIBAK | HTML | 103-110 | |
| James Rice; Adam Farquhar; Philippe Piernot; Thomas Gruber | |||
| We show how to deliver a sophisticated, yet intuitive, interactive
application over the web using off-the-shelf web browsers as the interaction
medium. This attracts a large user community, improves the rate of user
acceptance, and avoids many of the pitfalls of software distribution.
Web delivery imposes a novel set of constraints on user interface design. We outline the tradeoffs in this design space, motivate the choices necessary to deliver an application, and detail the lessons learned in the process. These issues are crucial because the growing popularity of the web guarantees that software delivery over the web will become ever more wide-spread. This application is publicly available at: http://www-ksl-svc.stanford.edu:5915/ Keywords: Internet application, Remote user interface, Active document, CSCW, World
Wide Web, Hypertext, HTML, HTTP, Java | |||
| The WebBook and the Web Forager: An Information Workspace for the World-Wide Web | | BIBAK | HTML | 111-117 | |
| Stuart K. Card; George G. Robertson; William York | |||
| The World-Wide Web has achieved global connectivity stimulating the
transition of computers from knowledge processors to knowledge sources. But
the Web and its client software are seriously deficient for supporting users'
interactive use of this information. This paper presents two related designs
with which to evolve the Web and its clients. The first is the WebBook, a 3D
interactive book of HTML pages. The WebBook allows rapid interaction with
objects at a higher level of aggregation than pages. The second is the Web
Forager, an application that embeds the WebBook and other objects in a
hierarchical 3D workspace. Both designs are intended as exercises to play off
against analytical studies of information workspaces. Keywords: 3D graphics, User interfaces, Information access, World-Wide Web,
Information workspace, Workspace | |||
| Silk from a Sow's Ear: Extracting Usable Structure from the Web | | BIBAK | HTML | 118-125 | |
| Peter Pirolli; James Pitkow; Ramana Rao | |||
| In its current implementation, the World-Wide Web lacks much of the explicit
structure and strong typing found in many closed hypertext systems. While this
property probably relates to the explosive acceptance of the Web, it further
complicates the already difficult problem of identifying usable structures and
aggregates in large hypertext collections. These reduced structures, or
localities, form the basis for simplifying visualizations of and navigation
through complex hypertext systems. Much of the previous research into
identifying aggregates utilize graph theoretic algorithms based upon structural
topology, i.e., the linkages between items. Other research has focused on
content analysis to form document collections. This paper presents our
exploration into techniques that utilize both the topology and textual
similarity between items as well as usage data collected by servers and page
meta-information lke title and size. Linear equations and spreading activation
models are employed to arrange Web pages based upon functional categories, node
types, and relevancy. Keywords: Information visualization, World Wide Web, Hypertext | |||
| A Palmtop Display for Dextrous Manipulation with Haptic Sensation | | BIBAK | HTML | 126-133 | |
| Haruo Noma; Tsutomu Miyasato; Fumio Kishino | |||
| Palmtop displays have been extensively studied, but most of them simply
refocus information in the real or virtual world. The palmtop display for
dextrous manipulation (PDDM) proposed in this paper allows the users to
manipulate a remote object as if they were holding it in their hands. The PDDM
system has a small LCD, a 3D mouse and a mechanical linkage (force display).
When the user locks onto an object in the center of the palmtop display, s/he
can manipulate the object through motion input on the palmtop display with
haptic sensation. In this paper, the features of a PDDM with haptic sensation
are described, then four operating methods and the haptic representation
methods for a trial model are proposed and evaluated. Keywords: Palmtop display, Haptic sensation, Force display, Virtual reality,
Teleconference, User interface | |||
| BrightBoard: A Video-Augmented Environment | | BIBAK | HTML | 134-141 | |
| Quentin Stafford-Fraser; Peter Robinson | |||
| The goal of 'Computer Augmented Environments' is to bring computational
power to everyday objects with which users are already familiar, so that the
user interface to this computational power becomes almost invisible. Video is
a very important tool in creating Augmented Environments and recent
camera-manufacturing techniques make it an economically viable proposition in
the general marketplace. BrightBoard is an example system which uses a video
camera and audio feedback to enhance the facilities of an ordinary whiteboard,
allowing a user to control a computer through simple marks made on the board.
We describe its operation in some detail, and discuss how it tackles some of
the problems common to these 'Video-Augmented Environments'. Keywords: Augmented reality, Image processing, Machine vision, Pattern recognition,
Ubiquitous computing | |||
| Wayfinding Strategies and Behaviors in Large Virtual Worlds | | BIBAK | HTML | 142-149 | |
| Rudolph P. Darken; John L. Sibert | |||
| People have severe problems wayfinding in large virtual worlds. However,
current implementations of virtual worlds provide little support for effective
wayfinding. We assert that knowledge about human wayfinding in the physical
world can be applied to construct aids for wayfinding in virtual worlds. An
experiment was conducted to determine whether people use physical world
wayfinding strategies in large virtual worlds. The study measures subject
performance on a complex searching task in a number of virtual worlds with
differing environmental cues. The results show that subjects in the treatment
without any additional cues were often disoriented and had extreme difficulty
completing the task. In general, subjects' wayfinding strategies and behaviors
were strongly influenced by the environmental cues in ways suggested by the
underlying design principles. Keywords: Virtual worlds, Wayfinding, Navigation, Environmental design, Spatial
orientation, Cognitive maps | |||
| An Empirical Evaluation of Design Rationale Documents | | BIBAK | HTML | 150-156 | |
| Laurent Karsenty | |||
| While several studies propose methods and notations for "capturing" design
rationale (DR), there is to date little data available on how useful this
information is when a designer needs to reuse a previous design. This paper
presents the results of an empirical evaluation of DR documents, carried out
with six experienced professional designers who were asked to understand and to
assess a past design. These designers were provided with documents that
described the solution and documents describing the DR. These DR documents
were constructed using the QOC method. To determine the usefulness of DR
documents, we attempt to answer the three following questions: (1) Do designers
confronted with an unknown design need to know the design rationales? (2) How
designers use design rationale documents? (3) Do we succeed in capturing the
rationales looked for by designers? The results provided by this study lead us
to conclude that DR should be useful, at least for some designers who use it as
a support to their reasoning, but not sufficient. Indeed, this study exhibits
some limitations of the traditional approaches for recording DR. We discuss
these limitations and some solutions needed to go beyond them. Keywords: Design rationale, Design methodology, Reuse | |||
| Systematic Design of Spoken Prompts | | BIBAK | HTML | 157-164 | |
| Brian Hansen; David G. Novick; Stephen Sutton | |||
| Designers of system prompts for interactive spoken-language systems
typically seek 1) to constrain users so that they say things that the system
can understand accurately and 2) to produce "natural" interaction that
maximizes users' satisfaction. Unfortunately, these goals are often at odds.
We present a set of heuristics for choosing appropriate prompt styles and show that a set of dimensions can be formulated from these heuristics. A point (or region) in the space formed by these dimensions is a "style" for prompts. We develop and apply metrics for empirically testing different prompt styles. Finally, we describe a toolkit that automatically generates prompts in a variety of styles for spoken-language dialogues. Keywords: Interaction design, Auditory I/O, Dialog analysis, Design techniques,
Evaluation, Toolkits | |||
| MailCall: Message Presentation and Navigation in a Nonvisual Environment | | BIBAK | HTML | 165-172 | |
| Matthew Marx; Chris Schmandt | |||
| MailCall is a telephone-based messaging system using speech recognition and
synthesis. Its nonvisual interaction approaches the usability of visual
systems through a combination of intelligent message categorization, efficient
presentation, and random-access navigation. MailCall offers improved feedback,
error-correction, and online help by considering the conversational context of
the current session. Studies suggest that its nonvisual approach to handling
messages is especially effective when the user has a large number of messages. Keywords: Auditory I/O, Interaction design, Mobile computing, Speech recognition,
Speech interface design | |||
| NewsComm: A Hand-Held Interface for Interactive Access to Structured Audio | | BIBAK | HTML | 173-180 | |
| Deb K. Roy; Chris Schmandt | |||
| The NewsComm system delivers personalized news and other program material as
audio to mobile users through a hand-held playback device. This paper focuses
on the iterative design and user testing of the hand-held interface. The
interface was first designed and tested in a software-only environment and then
ported to a custom hardware platform. The hand-held device enables navigation
through audio recordings based on structural information which is extracted
from the audio using digital signal processing techniques. The interface
design addresses the problems of designing a hand-held and primarily non-visual
interface for accessing large amounts of structured audio recordings. Keywords: Audio interfaces, Hand-held computers, Structured audio | |||
| The Thin Glass Line: Designing Interfaces to Algorithms | | BIBAK | HTML | 181-188 | |
| Michael Eisenberg | |||
| Modern application software often includes operations that are performed by
complex mathematical algorithms. These algorithms -- far from being the "black
boxes" typically portrayed in computer science courses -- may instead be viewed
as interactive processes, each presenting its own particular "interface" to the
user. This paper, then, offers a number of interface guidelines for
mathematical algorithms -- principles whose purpose is to suggest ways in which
users may employ algorithms with greater control and expressiveness. As a
source of examples, we illustrate the guidelines through a particular complex
mathematical problem -- that of generating a "folding net" for a
three-dimensional solid. Keywords: Algorithms, Human-computer interaction, Polyhedra, Folding nets | |||
| Learning Theory in Practice: Case Studies of Learner-Centered Design | | BIBAK | HTML | 189-196 | |
| Elliot Soloway; Shari L. Jackson; Jonathan Klein; Chris Quintana; James Reed; Jeff Spitulnik; Steven J. Stratford; Scott Studer; Jim Eng; Nancy Scala | |||
| The design of software for learners must be guided by educational theory.
We present a framework for learner-centered design (LCD) that is theoretically
motivated by sociocultural and constructivist theories of learning. LCD guides
the design of software in order to support the unique needs of learners:
growth, diversity, and motivation. To address these needs, we incorporate
scaffolding into the context, tasks, tools, and interface of software learning
environments. We demonstrate the application of our methodology by presenting
two case studies of LCD in practice. Keywords: Learner-centered design, Educational applications, Science applications,
Socioculturalism, Constructivism, Case study, Scaffolding | |||
| Assessing Dynamics in Computer-Based Instruction | | BIBAK | HTML | 197-204 | |
| John F. Pane; Albert T. Corbett; Bonnie E. John | |||
| We present an evaluation of a multimedia educational software system that
includes text, graphics, animations, and simulations. When compared with an
informationally equivalent control environment that used text and carefully
selected still images, we found little evidence that the dynamic presentations
enhanced student understanding of the declarative information in this lesson.
Furthermore, students cannot be relied on to take full advantage of exploratory
opportunities in computer-based instruction. These results prescribe further
investigation of whether and how computer-based multimedia can be used
effectively in education and training. Keywords: Animation, Simulation, Multimedia, Computer-based learning | |||
| A Case for Interaction: A Study of Interactive Information Retrieval Behavior and Effectiveness | | BIBAK | HTML | 205-212 | |
| Jurgen Koenemann; Nicholas J. Belkin | |||
| This study investigates the use and effectiveness of an advanced information
retrieval (IR) system (INQUERY). 64 novice IR system users were studied in
their use of a baseline version of INQUERY compared with one of three
experimental versions, each offering a different level of interaction with a
relevance feedback facility for automatic query reformulation. Results, in an
information filtering task, indicate that: these subjects, after minimal
training, were able to use the baseline system reasonably effectively;
availability and use of relevance feedback increased retrieval effectiveness;
and increased opportunity for user interaction with and control of relevance
feedback made the interactions more efficient and usable while maintaining or
increasing effectiveness. Keywords: Information retrieval, User interfaces, Evaluation, Empirical studies,
Relevance feedback | |||
| Scatter/Gather Browsing Communicates the Topic Structure of a Very Large Text Collection | | BIBAK | HTML | 213-220 | |
| Peter Pirolli; Patricia Schank; Marti Hearst; Christine Diehl | |||
| Scatter/Gather is a cluster-based browsing technique for large text
collections. Users are presented with automatically computed summaries of the
contents of clusters of similar documents and provided with a method for
navigating through these summaries at different levels of granularity. The aim
of the technique is to communicate information about the topic structure of
very large collections. We tested the effectiveness of Scatter/Gather as a
simple pure document retrieval tool, and studied its effects on the incidental
learning of topic structure. When compared to interactions involving simple
keyword-based search, the results suggest that Scatter/Gather induces a more
coherent conceptual image of a text collection, a richer vocabulary for
constructing search queries, and communicates the distribution of relevant
documents over clusters of documents in the collection. Keywords: Information retrieval, Scatter/gather, Clustering, Browsing | |||
| LifeLines: Visualizing Personal Histories | | BIBAK | HTML | 221-227 | |
| Catherine Plaisant; Brett Milash; Anne Rose; Seth Widoff; Ben Shneiderman | |||
| LifeLines provide a general visualization environment for personal histories
that can be applied to medical and court records, professional histories and
other types of biographical data. A one screen overview shows multiple facets
of the records. Aspects, for example medical conditions or legal cases, are
displayed as individual time lines, while icons indicate discrete events, such
as physician consultations or legal reviews. Line color and thickness
illustrate relationships or significance, rescaling tools and filters allow
users to focus on part of the information. LifeLines reduce the chances of
missing information, facilitate spotting anomalies and trends, streamline
access to details, while remaining tailorable and easily transferable between
applications. The paper describes the use of LifeLines for youth records of
the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice and also for medical records.
User's feedback was collected using a Visual Basic prototype for the youth
record. Keywords: Visualization, History, Timeline, Personal record, Justice, Medical record,
Screen design, Overview, Screen management | |||
| Remote Evaluation: The Network as an Extension of the Usability Laboratory | | BIBAK | HTML | 228-235 | |
| H. Rex Hartson; Jose C. Castillo; John Kelso; Wayne C. Neale | |||
| Traditional user interface evaluation usually is conducted in a laboratory
where users are observed directly by evaluators. However, the remote and
distributed location of users on the network precludes the opportunity for
direct observation in usability testing. Further, the network itself and the
remote work setting have become intrinsic parts of usage patterns, difficult to
reproduce in a laboratory setting, and developers often have limited access to
representative users for usability testing in the laboratory. In all of these
cases, the cost of transporting users or developers to remote locations can be
prohibitive.
These barriers have led us to consider methods for remote usability evaluation wherein the evaluator, performing observation and analysis, is separated in space and/or time from the user. The network itself serves as a bridge to take interface evaluation to a broad range of networked users, in their natural work settings. Several types of remote evaluation are defined and described in terms of their advantages and disadvantages to usability testing. The initial results of two case studies show potential for remote evaluation. Remote evaluation using video teleconferencing uses the network as a mechanism to transport video data in real time, so that the observer can evaluate user interfaces in remote locations as they are being used. Semi-instrumented remote evaluation is based on critical incident gathering by the user within the normal work context. Additionally, both methods can take advantage of automating data collection through questionnaires and instrumented applications. Keywords: Remote evaluation, Formative evaluation, Usability testing, Usability
method, Usability engineering, Semi-instrumented, Empirical, Critical incident,
Video conferencing | |||
| Usability Problem Identification Using Both Low- and High-Fidelity Prototype | | BIBAK | HTML | 236-243 | |
| Robert A. Virzi; Jeffrey L. Sokolov; Demetrios Karis | |||
| In two experiments, each using a different product (either a CD-ROM based
electronic book or an interactive voice response system), we compared the
usability problems uncovered using low- and high-fidelity prototypes. One
group of subjects performed a series of tasks using a paper-based low-fidelity
prototype, while another performed the same tasks using either a high-fidelity
prototype or the actual product. In both experiments, substantially the same
sets of usability problems were found in the low- and high-fidelity conditions.
Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the proportion of
subjects detecting particular problems in the low- and high-fidelity groups.
In other words, individual problems were detected by a similar proportion of
subjects in both the low- and high-fidelity conditions. We conclude that the
use of low-fidelity prototypes can be effective throughout the product
development cycle, not just during the initial stages of design. Keywords: Method, Usability testing, Low-fidelity prototyping | |||
| Toward Automatic Generation of Novice User Test Scripts | | BIBAK | HTML | 244-251 | |
| David J. Kasik; Harry G. George | |||
| Graphical user interfaces (GUI's) make applications easier to learn and use.
At the same time, they make application design, construction, and especially
test more difficult because user-directed dialogs increase the number of
potential execution paths. This paper considers a subset of GUI-based
application testing: how to exercise an application like a novice user. We
discuss different solutions and a specific implementation that uses genetic
algorithms to automatically generate user events in an unpredictable yet
controlled manner to produce novice-like test scripts. Keywords: Automated test generation, Dialog model specification, Genetic algorithms,
Software engineering test process | |||
| Pavlov: Programming by Stimulus-Response Demonstration | | BIBAK | HTML | 252-259 | |
| David Wolber | |||
| Pavlov is a Programming By Demonstration (PBD) system that allows animated
interfaces to be created without programming. Using a drawing editor and a
clock, designers specify the behavior of a target interface by demonstrating
stimuli (end-user actions or time) and the (time-stamped) graphical
transformations that should be executed in response. This stimulus-response
model allows interaction and animation to be defined in a uniform manner, and
it allows for the demonstration of interactive animation, i.e., game-like
behaviors in which the end-user (player) controls the speed and direction of
object movement. Keywords: End user programming, UIMS, Programming by demonstration, Programming by
example, Prototyping | |||
| Reusable Hierarchical Command Objects | | BIBAK | HTML | 260-267 | |
| Brad A. Myers; David S. Kosbie | |||
| The Amulet user interface development environment uses hierarchical command
objects to support the creation of highly-interactive graphical user
interfaces. When input arrives or a widget is operated by the user, instead of
invoking a call-back procedure as in most other toolkits, Amulet allocates a
command object and calls its DO method. Unlike previous uses of command
objects, Amulet organizes the commands into a hierarchy, so that low-level
operations like dragging or selection invoke low-level commands, which in turn
might invoke widget-level commands, which invoke high-level,
application-specific commands, and so on. The top-level commands correspond to
semantic actions of the program. The result is better modularization because
different levels of the user interface are independent, and better code reuse
because the lower-level commands, and even many high-level commands such as
cut, copy, paste, text edit, and change-color, can be reused from the library.
Furthermore, the commands in Amulet support a new form of Undo, where the user
can select any previous operation and selectively undo it, repeat it on the
same objects, or repeat it on new objects. In addition, operations like
scrolling and selections can be undone or repeated, which can be very useful.
Thus, the command objects in Amulet make it easier for developers by providing
more reusable components, while at the same time providing new capabilities for
users. Keywords: Amulet, User interface development environment, Toolkits, Command objects,
Undo, Redo | |||
| The Zephyr Help Instance: Promoting Ongoing Activity in a CSCW System | | BIBAK | HTML | 268-275 | |
| Mark S. Ackerman; Leysia Palen | |||
| If Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) systems are to be successful
over time, it will be necessary to promote ongoing and continuing activity, not
just initial adoption. In this paper, we consider what technical and social
affordances are required to encourage the continued use of a CSCW system.
To explore these issues, we examine a chat-like system, the Zephyr Help Instance, which is used extensively at MIT. The Help Instance facilitates users asking questions of one another, and is an example of a distributed help and problem-solving system. We provide an overview of the system's use as well as those mechanisms, both technical and social, that facilitate continuing its use over time. Keywords: Computer-supported cooperative work, CSCW, Help, Computer-mediated
communications, CMC, Norms, Organizational interfaces, Social maintenance,
Electronic social spaces | |||
| Email Overload: Exploring Personal Information Management of Email | | BIBAK | HTML | 276-283 | |
| Steve Whittaker; Candace Sidner | |||
| Email is one of the most successful computer applications yet devised. Our
empirical data show however, that although email was originally designed as a
communications application, it is now being used for additional functions, that
it was not designed for, such as task management and personal archiving. We
call this email overload. We demonstrate that email overload creates problems
for personal information management: users often have cluttered inboxes
containing hundreds of messages, including outstanding tasks, partially read
documents and conversational threads. Furthermore, user attempts to
rationalise their inboxes by filing are often unsuccessful, with the
consequence that important messages get overlooked, or "lost" in archives. We
explain how email overloading arises and propose technical solutions to the
problem. Keywords: Email, Information overload, Personal information management, Asynchronous
communication, Filing, Task management, Interpersonal communication,
Ethnography, Empirical studies | |||
| HomeNet: A Field Trial of Residential Internet Services | | BIBAK | HTML | 284-291 | |
| Robert Kraut; William Scherlis; Tridas Mukhopadhyay; Jane Manning; Sara Kiesler | |||
| HomeNet is a field trial of residential Internet use with lowered barriers
to use. We use multiple longitudinal data collection techniques, including
server-side instrumentation. This paper is an initial description of how
diverse families used the Internet in the first five months of the trial, and
of variables that predicted this usage. The results have implications for
design (e.g., provide more help for adults to get started), for marketing
(e.g., lower income people have as much desire for on-line services as do upper
income people), and for research (e.g., understand why teenagers' lead family
computing). Keywords: Human factors, Communication applications, Empirical studies, Internet,
Electronic mail, World Wide Web, Social impact | |||
| Physical Versus Virtual Pointing | | BIBAK | HTML | 292-299 | |
| Evan D. Graham; Christine L. MacKenzie | |||
| An experiment was conducted to investigate differences in performance
between virtual pointing, where a 2-D computer image representing the hand and
targets was superimposed on the workspace, and physical pointing with vision of
the hand and targets painted on the work surface. A detailed examination of
movement kinematics revealed no differences in the initial phase of the
movement, but that the final phase of homing in on smaller targets was more
difficult in the virtual condition. These differences are summarised by a
two-part model of movement time which also captures the effects of scaling
distances to, and sizes of targets. The implications of this model for design,
analysis, and classification of pointing devices and positioning tasks are
discussed. Keywords: Analysis methods, Fitts' law, Human performance modelling, Input devices,
Pointing, Virtual environments | |||
| Differences in Movement Microstructure of the Mouse and the Finger-Controlled Isometric Joystick | | BIBAK | HTML | 300-307 | |
| Anant Kartik Mithal; Sarah A. Douglas | |||
| This paper describes a study comparing the movement characteristics of the
mouse and the velocity-control isometric joystick. These characteristics are
called the microstructure of movement. The comparison found random variations
in the velocity of the isometric joystick that make it hard to control. The
study shows that the microstructure of movement can explain differences in
performance among devices. Keywords: Fitts' law, Pointing devices, Mouse, Isometric joystick, Psychomotor models,
Movement microstructure, Characteristics of movement, Performance differences | |||
| The Influence of Muscle Groups on Performance of Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Input | | BIBAK | HTML | 308-315 | |
| Shumin Zhai; Paul Milgram; William Buxton | |||
| The literature has long suggested that the design of computer input devices
should make use of the fine, smaller muscle groups and joints in the fingers,
since they are richly represented in the human motor and sensory cortex and
they have higher information processing bandwidth than other body parts. This
hypothesis, however, has not been conclusively verified with empirical
research. The present work studied such a hypothesis in the context of
designing 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) input devices. The work attempts to
address both a practical need -- designing efficient 6 DOF input devices -- and
the theoretical issue of muscle group differences in input control. Two
alternative 6 DOF input devices, one including and the other excluding the
fingers from the 6 DOF manipulation, were designed and tested in a 3D object
docking experiment. Users' task completion times were significantly shorter
with the device that utilised the fingers. The results of this study strongly
suggest that the shape and size of future input device designs should
constitute affordances that invite finger participation in input control. Keywords: Input devices, 3-D interface, 6 DOF input, Motor control, Muscle group
differences, Hand, Fingers, Arm, Homunculus model | |||
| A Collaborative Model of Feedback in Human-Computer Interaction | | BIBAK | HTML | 316-323 | |
| Manuel A. Perez Quinones; John L. Sibert | |||
| Feedback plays an important role in human-computer interaction. It provides
the user with evidence of closure, thus satisfying the communication
expectations that users have when engaging in a dialogue. In this paper we
present a model identifying five feedback states that must be communicated to
the user to fulfill the communication expectations of a dialogue. The model is
based on a linguistics theory of conversation, but is applied to a graphical
user interface. An experiment is described in which we test users'
expectations and their behavior when those expectations are not met. The model
subsumes some of the temporal requirements for feedback previously reported in
the human-computer interaction literature. Keywords: Human-computer dialogues, Feedback, Conversational dialogues, States of
understanding, Collaborative view of conversations | |||
| A Comprehension-Based Model of Exploration | | BIBAK | HTML | 324-331 | |
| Muneo Kitajima; Peter G. Polson | |||
| This paper describes a comprehension-based model of how experienced
Macintosh users learn a new application by doing a task presented as a series
of exercises. A comprehension mechanism transforms written instructions into
goals that control an action planning process proposed by Kitajima and Polson
[11]. The transformation process is based on a theory of solving word problems
developed by Kintsch [8,9]. The comprehension and action planning processes
define constraints on the wording of effective instructions. The combined
model is evaluated using data from Franzke [3]. We discuss implications of
these results for Minimalist Instructions [1] and Cognitive Walkthroughs [17]. Keywords: Cognitive theory, Display-based systems, Exploration | |||
| Exploring the Unrealized Potential of Computer-Aided Drafting | | BIBAK | HTML | 332-339 | |
| Suresh K. Bhavnani; Bonnie E. John | |||
| Despite huge investments by vendors and users, CAD productivity remains
disappointing. Our analysis of real-world CAD usage shows that even after many
years of experience, users tend to use suboptimal strategies to perform complex
CAD tasks. Additionally, some of these strategies have a marked resemblance to
manual drafting techniques. Although this phenomenon has been previously
reported, this paper explores explanations for its causes and persistence. We
argue that the strategic knowledge to use CAD effectively is neither defined
nor explicitly taught. In the absence of a well-formed strategy, users often
develop a synthetic mental model of CAD containing a mixture of manual and CAD
methods. As these suboptimal strategies do not necessarily prevent users from
producing clean, accurate drawings, the inefficiencies tend to remain
unrecognized and users have little motivation to develop better strategies. To
reverse this situation we recommend that the strategic knowledge to use CAD
effectively should be made explicit and provided early in training. We use our
analysis to begin the process of making this strategic knowledge explicit. We
conclude by discussing the ramifications of this research in training as well
as in the development of future computer aids for drawing and design. Keywords: CAD, Task decomposition, Learning | |||
| User Customization of a Word Processor | | BIBAK | HTML | 340-346 | |
| Stanley R. Page; Todd J. Johnsgard; Uhl Albert; C. Dennis Allen | |||
| The purpose of the study was to identify the customization changes users
typically make to their word processor. Ninety-two percent of the participants
customized their software in some way. Participants who used the software most
heavily also did the most customization (p < .05). Most of the customization
was done to facilitate the participants' work practices. The most common
changes involved providing easier access to custom or often-used functionality.
Button Bars seemed to provide an easy and effective means for participants to
customize access to the functionality they wanted. Few participants customized
the visual appearance of the interface. Keywords: Adaptability, Adaptable, Customization, Customize, Tailor | |||
| Multiagent Model of Dynamic Design: Visualization as an Emergent Behavior of Active Design Agents | | BIBAK | HTML | 347-354 | |
| Suguru Ishizaki | |||
| This research has been motivated by the lack of models and languages in the
visual design field that are able to address design solutions, which
continuously adapt in response to the dynamic changes both in the information
itself and in the goals or intentions of the information recipient. This paper
postulates a multiagent model of dynamic design -- a theoretical framework of
design that provides a model with which the visual designer can think during
the course of designing. The model employs a decentralized model of design as
a premise, and borrows its conceptual model from the improvisational
performance, such as dance and music, and bases its theoretical and technical
framework on the field of multiagent systems. A design solution is considered
an emergent behavior of a collection of active design agents, or performers,
each of which is responsible for presenting a particular segment of
information. The graphical behaviors of design agents are described by their
dynamic activities -- rather than by the traditional method of fixed
attributes. The model is illustrated with two design projects, Dynamic News
Display System and E-Mail Reader, both of which were implemented using a
multiagent design simulation system, perForm, along with an agent description
language, persona. Keywords: Visual design, Visualization, Dynamic information, Automatic design,
Multiagent systems | |||
| Helping Users Program Their Personal Agents | | BIBAK | HTML | 355-361 | |
| Loren G. Terveen; La Tondra Murray | |||
| Software agents are computer programs that act on behalf of users to perform
routine, tedious, and time-consuming tasks. To be useful to an individual
user, an agent must be personalized to his or her goals, habits, and
preferences. We have created an end-user programming system that makes it easy
for users to state rules for their agents to follow. The main advance over
previous approaches is that the system automatically determines conflicts
between rules and guides users in resolving the conflicts. Thus, user and
system collaborate in developing and managing a set of rules that embody the
user's preferences for handling a wide variety of situations. Keywords: Agents, End-user programming, Intelligent systems | |||
| A Collaborative Approach to Developing Style Guides | | BIBAK | HTML | 362-367 | |
| Stephen Gale | |||
| A vital element in exploiting the benefits of Graphical User Interfaces
(GUIs) is the use of an appropriate Style Guide. This paper outlines a
collaborative approach to the development of Style Guides and highlights the
associated benefits and pitfalls. Keywords: Style guides, Graphical user interfaces, User interface design, Standards | |||
| Integrating Human Factors in Customer Support Systems Development Using a Multi-Level Organisational Approach | | BIBAK | HTML | 368-375 | |
| Anne Miller | |||
| Integrating usability into software development projects involves working
across multiple organisational levels. Aligning the Customer Support Platform
Usability (CSPU) Teams objectives with those of the organisation allowed more
effective integration of usability activities within project teams. Primarily,
corporate alignment provided a legitimate mandate for the CSPU Team to develop
standards and guidelines, and to require that usability activities be
undertaken by project teams. However, at the project team level, integration
was achieved by definition of roles, activities and processes according to the
objectives, constraints and processes of project teams. Achieving common
ground in project teams involved a willingness to work with, and to actively
adapt to both organisational and project based needs. Keywords: Human factors, Usability, Corporate mandate, Graphical user interface,
Systems development life cycle, Standards and guidelines, Resourcing | |||
| Making a Difference -- The Impact of Inspections | | BIBAK | HTML | 376-382 | |
| Paul Sawyer; Alicia Flanders; Dennis Wixon | |||
| In this methodology paper we define a metric we call impact ratio. We use
this ratio to measure the effectiveness of inspections and other evaluative
techniques in getting usability improvements into products. We inspected ten
commercial software products and achieved an average impact ratio of 78%. We
discuss factors affecting this ratio and its value in helping us to appraise
usability engineering's impact on products. Keywords: Formal inspections, Heuristic evaluations, Usability metrics, User testing,
Walkthroughs, Impact ratio usability problems | |||
| Using Small Screen Space More Efficiently | | BIBAK | HTML | 383-390 | |
| Tomonari Kamba; Shawn Elson; Terry Harpold; Tim Stamper; Piyawadee "Noi" Sukaviriya | |||
| This paper describes techniques for maximizing the efficient use of small
screen space by combining delayed response with semi-transparency of control
objects ("widgets") and on-screen text. Most research on the limitations of
small display screens has focused on methods for optimizing concurrent display
of text and widgets at the same level of transparency (that is, both are
equally opaque). Prior research which proposes that widgets may be made
semi-transparent is promising, but it does not, we feel, adequately address
problems associated with user interaction with text that is partially obscured
by the widgets. In this paper, we will propose that a variable delay in the
response of overlapping widgets and text improves the effectiveness of the
semi-transparent widget/text model. Our conclusions are based on usability
studies of a prototype of an online newspaper that combined transparency and
delayed-response techniques. Keywords: PDAs, Icons, Transparency, Usability study | |||
| An Experimental Evaluation of Transparent Menu Usage | | BIBAK | HTML | 391-398 | |
| Beverly L. Harrison; Kim J. Vicente | |||
| This paper reports a systematic evaluation of transparent user interfaces.
It reflects our progression from theoretically-based experiments in focused
attention to more representative application-based experiments on selection
response times and error rates. We outline how our previous research relates
to both the design and the results reported here. For this study, we used a
variably-transparent, text menu superimposed over different backgrounds: text
pages, wire-frame images, and solid images. We compared "standard" text (Motif
style, Helvetica, 14 point) and a proposed font enhancement technique
("Anti-Interference" outlining). More generally, this experimental evaluation
provides information about the interaction between transparency and text
legibility. Keywords: Display design, Evaluation, Transparency, User interface design, Interaction
technology, Toolglass | |||
| Do Color Models Really Make a Difference? | | BIBAK | HTML | 399-405 | |
| Sarah Douglas; Ted Kirkpatrick | |||
| User interfaces for color selection are based upon an underlying color
model. There is widespread belief, and some evidence, that color models
produce significant differences in human performance. We performed a
color-matching experiment using an interface with high levels of feedback.
With this interface, we observed no differences in speed or accuracy between
the RGB and HSV color models, but found that increasing feedback improved
accuracy of matching. We suggest that feedback may be an important factor in
usability of a color selection interface. Keywords: Color models, Color selection, RGB, HSV, User interfaces | |||
| Externalising Abstract Mathematical Models | | BIBAK | HTML | 406-412 | |
| Lisa Tweedie; Robert Spence; Huw Dawkes; Hua Su | |||
| Abstract mathematical models play an important part in engineering design,
economic decision making and other activities. Such models can be externalised
in the form of Interactive Visualisation Artifacts (IVAs). These IVAs display
the data generated by mathematical models in simple graphs which are
interactively linked. Visual examination of these graphs enables users to
acquire insight into the complex relations embodied in the model. In the
engineering context this insight can be exploited to aid design. The paper
describes two IVAs for engineering design: The Influence Explorer and The
Prosection Matrix. Formative evaluation studies are briefly discussed. Keywords: Interactive graphics, Visualization | |||
| Structuring Information with Mental Models: A Tour of Boston | | BIBAK | HTML | 413-419 | |
| Ishantha Lokuge; Stephen A. Gilbert; Whitman Richards | |||
| We present a new systematic method of structuring information using mental
models. This method can be used both to evaluate the efficiency of an
information structure and to build user-centered information structures. In
this paper we present the method using Boston tourist attractions as an example
domain. We describe several interfaces that take advantage of our mental
models with an activation spreading network. Multidimensional Scaling and
Trajectory Mapping are used to build our mental models. Because of the
robustness of the technique, it is easy to compare individual difference in
mental models and to customize interfaces for individual models. Keywords: Cognitive models, Multidimensional scaling, Visualization, Interaction
design, Evaluation | |||
| Embed User Values in System Architecture: The Declaration of System Usability | | BIBAK | HTML | 420-427 | |
| Elizabeth M. Comstock; William M. Duane | |||
| The underlying architecture of complex software products profoundly
influences their direction and usability. This paper shares an effort to embed
usability within the architecture of complex network products. We began by
attempting to build a conceptual model, but we ended by representing customers'
and users' values in a Declaration of System Usability to guide product
direction and system architecture decisions. Keywords: System usability, Complexity, System architecture, Software architecture,
Design techniques, Networks | |||
| Sensuality in Product Design: A Structured Approach | | BIBAK | HTML | 428-435 | |
| G. H. Hofmeester; J. A. M. Kemp; A. C. M. Blankendaal | |||
| This paper describes a user-centred process for designing a product which
induces a sensual feeling. It is assumed that in the design of consumer
products feelings are an essential part of human-product interaction. The
objective of the graduation project discussed here was to pro-actively design a
pager which the target user group (women aged 18-30 years) perceived as
sensual.
Users were involved at an early stage of the design process. Based on information gathered in a series of interviews two pagers were designed. In an evaluation both models were perceived as significantly more sensual than a reference model. Keywords: Sensuality, Eroticism, Product design, Pager, Communication, Pleasure,
Emotion, Market research, Early user involvement | |||
| Designing the muse: A Digital Music Stand for the Symphony Musician | | BIBAK | HTML | 436-441 | |
| Christopher Graefe; Derek Wahila; Justin Maguire; Orya Dasna | |||
| As part of the 1995 Apple Design Project, we designed and prototyped the
muse, a digital music stand for the symphony musician. Our group consisted of
four students from Carnegie Mellon University. We worked closely with members
of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during the development of our product. By
observing their practice, rehearsal, and performance habits, we studied the
symphony culture and generated the concept of a product that would replace a
number of conventional tools and processes with a single digital device. The
integration of the interface and industrial design resulted in a cohesive look
and feel to the muse. The muse contains a metronome with audio and visual
feedback, a pitch-generating tuner, stylus-based on-screen annotation,
inter-symphony communication capabilities, a music library, and manual or
automatic page turning with indexing. The muse is fashioned from mahogany,
aluminum, and steel to reflect the timeless beauty of the instruments with
which it shares the stage. Keywords: Iterative design process, Music stand, Industrial design, Interaction
design, Coordination support, Annotation, Tuning | |||
| Rapid Scout: Bridging the Gulf Between Physical and Virtual Environments | | BIBAK | HTML | 442-449 | |
| David S. Ranson; Emily S. Patterson; Daniel L. Kidwell; Gavin A. Renner; Mike L. Matthews; Jim M. Corban; Emil Seculov; Constantine S. Souhleris | |||
| We explored how to bridge the gulf between physical and virtual environments
for the sport of whitewater paddling. Field observations, critical incident
analysis, exploratory prototyping, and field and lab evaluations were used to
make discoveries. Lessons learned in this ethnographic process led to the
design of a guiding, communication, and navigation aid for kayakers and
canoeists. In designing "Rapid Scout", we gained insights on making virtual
representations context-sensitive, coupling multiple perspectives, dealing with
uncertainty, and extending human views. Ways to facilitate collaboration
through shared graphic frames of reference were also explored. Keywords: Visualization, Representation aiding, Groupware, Decision support, Portable
computing, Ethnography | |||
| Interaction Design and Human Factors Support in the Development of a Personal Communicator for Children | | BIBAK | HTML | 450-457 | |
| Ron Oosterholt; Mieko Kusano; Govert de Vries | |||
| Today's computer games for children are primarily focused on boys. Two
years ago Philips started the development of a new 'personal communication'
product that addresses the needs of young children and especially the needs of
young girls. This article is focused on the interaction design and human
factors support provided throughout the development of this product. It
illustrates the involvement of the interaction design discipline, ranging from
the initial generation and visualization of interface ideas to the final
transfer to the software engineering team of detailed user interface
specifications. The article also describes how human factors support ensured
that potential users were involved on continuously in the design process, as
well as how this involvement influenced the development of the final product.
The article concludes with a discussion of the lessons learned in designing
products for children. Keywords: Children, Communicator, User interface, Interaction, Design, Development
process, Qualitative research, Methods and techniques | |||
| Demo or Die: User Interface as Marketing Theatre | | BIBAK | HTML | 458-465 | |
| Annette Wagner; Maria Capucciati | |||
| This design briefing describes the design and development of a demonstration
which simultaneously utilizes and illustrates the use of SunSoft's distributed
object technology, NEO. The design is notable in that the demo is primarily a
marketing tool, not a product. We discuss the factors that made the NEO demo
different from a typical project, and how we created a successful user
experience through the visual design and story of the NEO demo. Keywords: Human interface design, Objects, NEO, NeXT, Demonstration, Presentation,
Visual language, Storyboards, Graphic design, Theatre | |||
| A User Interface for Accessing 3D Content on the World Wide Web | | BIBAK | HTML | 466-472 | |
| Mike Mohageg; Rob Myers; Chris Marrin; Jim Kent; David Mott; Paul Isaacs | |||
| A strategy for accessing and viewing three dimensional data on the World
Wide Web is introduced. Factors driving the user interface design of a 3D web
browser are presented. The interface for the initial implementation of Silicon
Graphics' WebSpaceNavigator, the first commercially available 3D Web browser,
is given. Close attention is paid to design issues. Usability lessons learned
from this interface are described and it is shown how they affected the second
generation browser interface design. Keywords: User interface design, Three dimensional (3D) navigation, World Wide Web
(WWW), Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) | |||
| The Windows 95 User Interface: A Case Study in Usability Engineering | | BIBAK | HTML | 473-480 | |
| Kent Sullivan | |||
| The development of the user interface for a large commercial software
product like Microsoft Windows 95 involves many people, broad design goals, and
an aggressive work schedule. This design briefing describes how the usability
engineering principles of iterative design and problem tracking were
successfully applied to make the development of the UI more manageable.
Specific design problems and their solutions are also discussed. Keywords: Iterative design, Microsoft Windows, Problem tracking, Rapid prototyping,
Usability engineering, Usability testing | |||
| Usability Improvements in Lotus cc:Mail for Windows | | BIBAK | HTML | 481-488 | |
| Stacey Ashlund; Karen J. Horwitz | |||
| This is a case study about a commercial software design and development
process. The highly successful product contained some usability problems that
were apparent from a usability perspective, but were to be delayed in the
upcoming release. A Lotus Notes database was used to record usability issues,
UI design recommendations, and decision rationale. This database was the key
strategy that helped convince the team to make changes. The processes and UI
design solutions described are not new; rather this design briefing focuses on
how they were deployed to effect change that wouldn't have happened otherwise.
"Before" and "After" screen shots illustrate this success story. Keywords: User interface design, User-centered design, Design process, Usability
engineering, Usability testing, E-mail | |||
| Real World Design in the Corporate Environment: Designing an Interface for the Technically Challenged | | BIBAK | HTML | 489-495 | |
| Susan Hopper; Harold Hambrose; Paul Kanevsky | |||
| The development of a graphical user interface for Merrill Lynch's Trusted
Global Advisor (TGA) system is a major endeavor to bring enhanced information
access and updated technology to the desktops of more than 15,000 financial
consultants and industry professionals firmwide.
The TGA development team's goals and challenges are two-fold. The business goal is to create a comprehensive, integrated computing environment that is unique and would identify Merrill Lynch as the technology pioneer in the financial services industry. The technological challenge included the design of a graphical user interface that could be easily learned and understood by all users in the Firm-the majority of which are PC illiterate. In order to have acceptance from the users, this new system has to appeal to both the first-time GUI user and mouse aficionados alike. Keywords: User interface, Corporate environment, Hierarchy, Tab metaphor, Iterative
design, Book, Shell | |||
| New Technological Windows into Mind: There is More in Eyes and Brains for Human-Computer Interaction | | BIBAK | 496-503 | |
| Boris M. Velichkovsky; John Paulin Hansen | |||
| This is an overview of the recent progress leading towards a full
subject-centered paradigm in human-computer interaction. At this new phase in
the evolution of computer technologies it will be possible to take into account
no just characteristics of average human beings, but create systems sensitive
to the actual states of attention and intentions of interacting persons. We
discuss some of these methods concentrating on the use of eye-tracking and
brain imaging. The development is based on the use of eye movement data for a
control of output devices, for gaze-contingent image processing and for
disambiguating verbal as well as nonverbal information. Keywords: Attention, Eye movements, Human-computer interaction (HCI),
Neuroinformatics, Levels-of-processing, Noncommand interfaces, Computer
supported cooperative work (CSCW) | |||
| The Virtual Library: A New Common Ground | | BIBA | 504-505 | |
| Andrew Magpantay | |||
| The American Library Association (ALA), a nonprofit educational and service
organization based in Chicago, Illinois is the world's oldest and largest
professional library association. Founded in 1876, it currently has over 56,000
members -- primarily librarians, but also trustees, publishers, and library
supporters. Its mission is to provide leadership and information services and
the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access
to information for all.
In 1995, APA embarked on a five year strategic initiative -- ALA Goal 2000 -- to advocate for the public's right to a free and open information society. As part of this initiative ALA has expanded its Washington Office, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, to increase its ability to influence national issues, policy and legislation. Additionally, ALA established an Office of Information Technology Policy, also in Washington, D.C., to address complex technology policy issues and promote the development and utilization of electronic access to information as a means to ensure the public's right to a free and open information society. | |||
| CHIKids: A Common Ground for Kids and Adults | | BIBAK | 506-507 | |
| Allison Druin | |||
| CHIkids challenges the traditional notion of childcare and rolls summer
camp, technology, and CHI into a new hands-on experience for children. This is
an opportunity for the next generation to explore computers, technology, and
user interface design at the CHI 96 conference. Children (3-12 years of age)
will have the opportunity to create multimedia stories, try the latest
educational multimedia titles, test emerging software technologies with CHI
researchers, and to be conference reporters using desktop publishing tools and
the World Wide Web. These activities will be reported on and presented by
CHIkids leaders at the close of the CHI 96 conference. Keywords: CHIkids, Children, Educational applications, Desktop publishing, Multimedia,
World Wide Web, CD-ROMs, Social impact, Childcare | |||