| UbiComp, HCI and the State of the Artist | | BIB | Full-Text | 2 | |
| Bill Buxton | |||
| Experiences with Cocoa | | BIB | Full-Text | 3 | |
| Allen Cypher | |||
| The Network Computer and Beyond | | BIB | Full-Text | 4 | |
| George Coulouris | |||
| Relating Distortion to Performance in Distortion-Oriented Displays | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 6 | |
| Ray Smith; Paul Anderson | |||
| Distortion oriented displays (DOD) are an interface approach for supporting
navigation through large visual datasets (maps) whilst avoiding loss of
context. DOD present the user with a movable virtual magnifying glass within
which a detailed view of the point of focus is presented. Surrounding this the
rest of the map is presented in a visually compressed view to ensure context is
retained. The large quantity of data, spatial expansiveness and range of data
sizes found in demanding applications produce two major performance problems
for DOD; dynamic response and high magnification requirements. Fast dynamic
response is an important feature of DOD; the user should be able to move the
point of focus around the screen and experience no discernible delay in the
redisplay of the map. Therefore computational overhead is very important when
considering the use of a DOD for visualizations of large datasets. Screen size
restrictions and the expansive and physically diverse nature of the data mean
high magnification is needed to view the required level of detail in the focal
region. This can produce unacceptable distortions in the context region for
some types of DOD. This paper considers how distortion can affect DOD
performance and how understanding this can help produce DOD with higher useable
magnification factors and better dynamic response. Keywords: Distortion-oriented presentation techniques, Information visualization. | |||
| Automated General Visualizations | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 12 | |
| D. Manuel | |||
| Abstract: This paper details research on systems which use a small set of
objects to visualize event-based data from a number of potential domains,
including programming languages. Empirical research suggests that user
understanding of visualizations is principally defined by the visual attributes
of the objects, such as position and colour, rather than with the functionality
of these objects. This work shows that general visualizations are possible for
event-based data domains. If the output visualization is well laid out, then it
is nearly indistinguishable from visualizations specifically designed for a
data set. Future work lies in the development of more intelligent systems which
are capable of creating user friendly layouts. Keywords: automated general visualizations, data visualisation, event-based data,
functionality, intelligent systems, output visualization, user friendly
layouts, user understanding | |||
| Interactive Visualization Tools for Analyzing NIR Data | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 19 | |
| H. Munro; K. Novins; G. Benwell; A. Mowat | |||
| Abstract: This paper describes a tool under development that allows users to
visualise the spatial ripening characteristics of fruit. Sugar acid and
moisture content can be measured using non-destructive Near Infrared
Reflectance (NIR) analysis techniques. The four dimensional nature of the NIR
data introduces some interesting visualisation problems. The display device
only provides two dimensions, making it necessary to design new methods for
representing the data. We introduce the notion of spectrum and spatial tools
and show how these may be combined to form a flexible visualisation environment
for exploring NIR data. Keywords: data visualisation, flexible visualisation environment, fruit, interactive
visualisation tools, moisture content, nondestructive near infrared reflectance
analysis techniques, spatial ripening characteristics, spatial tools, sugar
acid | |||
| Organizational Memory and CSCW: Supporting the Mavis Phenomenon | | BIBA | Full-Text | 26 | |
| Dave Randall; Jon O'Brien; Mark Rouncefield; John A. Hughes | |||
| Organizational Memory is concept which has gained some currency in recent years. The aim of this paper is to query the conceptual underpinnings of the notion. An alternative and more social conception of the kind of phenomena 'organizational memory' points to is offered, one which connects more thoroughly with 'remembering activities' as practical accomplishments of organizational life. | |||
| Locales Framework: Exploring Foundations for Collaboration Support | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 34 | |
| Geraldine Fitzpatrick; Tim Mansfield; Simon M. Kaplan | |||
| We believe that virtual simulation of physical environments is an
insufficient basis for building collaborative support systems. In response, we
present a locales framework which frames collaboration as the interaction of
individuals within social worlds regardless of whether that interaction is
physical or virtual. The overview describes the five aspects of the framework:
locale foundations, where locales are the basic structures providing the
affordances for the work of social worlds; mutuality in interaction, including
presence and awareness issues; individual views of multiple locales of
interest, defined by the individual's participation in multiple social worlds;
interaction trajectories, capturing the temporal dimensions of interaction; and
civic structures, which embed locales and the collaborative work of groups in
the larger public sphere. Keywords: CSCW, spatial metaphor, place, locale, social world, collaborative
environment | |||
| The Effect of Group Size and Communication Modes in CSCW Environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 42 | |
| M. Masoodian; M. Apperley | |||
| Abstract: An earlier study by M. Masoodian et al. (1995) has examined the
impact of different human-to-human communication modes on computer supported
work involving groups of two people. Based on the findings of this study an
experiment was designed to explore the relative impact of face-to-face and
audio-only communication modes in supporting shared-workspace interaction
between groups of three people. This paper describes the experiment, and
examines its findings with the aim of establishing the relationship between the
effectiveness of the various communication modes and the group size. Keywords: CSCW environments, audio-only communication modes, communication modes,
computer supported cooperative work, group size, groupware, human-to-human
communication modes, shared-workspace interaction | |||
| Roamers, Cruisers and Warriors: Requirements for Personal Technologies for Workgroup Support | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 50 | |
| P. Thomas | |||
| Abstract: Much of the emphasis in the development of systems to support
workgroups has been on the requirements for collaborative work-whether that is
in terms of support for focused collaborative tasks, support for group process
or for communication. There is however a growing recognition that the 'personal
aspects' of collaborative work are important. This recognition is based on
questions such as: hew do new forms of 'personal technologies' fit into group
working; how can technology provide the flexibility to support both
collaborative and personal work; and how can requirements for personal support
be reconciled with those for collaborative work?. Keywords: collaborative work, group process, groupware, personal technologies,
workgroup support | |||
| Semantic Telepointers for Groupware | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 54 | |
| Saul Greenberg; Carl Gutwin; Mark Roseman | |||
| Real time groupware systems often display telepointers (multiple cursors) of
all participants in the shared visual workspace. Through the simple mechanism
of telepointers, participants can communicate their location, movement, and
probable focus of attention within the document, and can gesture over the
shared view. Yet telepointers can be improved. First, they can be applied to
groupware where people's view of the work surface differs -- through viewport,
object placement, or representation variation -- by mapping telepointers to the
underlying objects rather than to Cartesian coordinates. Second, telepointers
can be overloaded with semantic information to provide participants a stronger
sense of awareness of what is going on, with little consumption of screen real
estate. Keywords: Groupware, CSCW, telepointers, multiple cursors, awareness | |||
| groupCRC: Exploring CSCW Support for Software Engineering | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 62 | |
| Neville Churcher; Carl Cerecke | |||
| Software engineers invariably work in teams. However, the nature of the
available tools tends to isolate individuals so that they effectively work on
their own. This is partly because of the complexity of the systems involved and
the high degree of formality required in the products. Computer Supported
Co-operative Work (CSCW) aims to support and enhance the ability of groups of
people to accomplish shared goals. This paper is an exploration of the
potential for exploiting CSCW ideas to provide better tools for software
engineers. groupCRC, a CSCW implementation of the Class, Responsibility,
Collaborator (CRC) card object-oriented analysis technique, is used as an
example. Keywords: groupware, CSCW, CRC cards, object-oriented analysis, object-oriented
design, software engineering | |||
| Low-Level and High-Level CSCW Support in the Serendipity Process Modeling Environment | | BIBA | Full-Text | 69 | |
| John Grundy; John G. Hosking; Warwick B. Mugridge | |||
| In order to effectively collaborate using large cooperative work systems, both low-level and high-level CSCW facilities are required. Low-level mechanisms, including collaborative editing, messaging, annotations and communication, are needed. For large-scale cooperation, they should be augmented with higher-level process modelling, work coordination and work context awareness facilities. We describe the integration of both low-level and high-level support for cooperative work in the Serendipity process modelling environment, and discuss our experience of using these facilities. | |||
| A Goal-Oriented Approach for Designing Decision Support Displays in Dynamic Environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 78 | |
| W. B. L. Wong; D. O'Hare; P. J. Sallis | |||
| Abstract: This paper reports on how the critical decision method, a
cognitive task analysis technique, was employed to identify the goal states of
tasks performed by dispatchers in a dynamic environment, the Sydney Ambulance
Coordination Centre. The analysis identified five goal states: Notification;
Situation awareness; Planning resource to task compatibility; Speedy response;
Maintain history of developments. These goals were then used to guide the
development of display concepts that support decision strategies invoked by
dispatchers in this task environment. Keywords: cognitive task analysis technique, critical decision method, decision
support displays, dispatchers, dynamic environment, dynamic environments,
goal-oriented approach, situation awareness, task analysis | |||
| A CASE for Electronic Documentary Dossier | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 86 | |
| Hung Wing; Robert M. Colomb | |||
| This paper proposes a graphical UI, a CASE tool, for the purpose of
specifying and representing trade information, common in electronic commerce.
The semantic and structural information associated with trade instances can be
extremely complex. For example, the formal property of Petri Nets can be used
to represent the different traders' roles or to identify the various trade
procedures that will lead to deadlock situations. A simple and intuitive
graphical user interface that can represent and characterize the organization
of the trade documents is therefore considered useful in facilitating
electronic commerce. Keywords: Electronic Commerce, CASE, UIMS, Petri-Nets, GUI | |||
| Testing a User Interface Style Guide | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 94 | |
| Shane Morris; Ralph Kettle | |||
| Except for usability testing of the end-product systems, user interface
style guides are rarely evaluated against their stated goals, or, if they are,
the evaluation is largely anecdotal and occurs well after deployment. This
paper describes acceptance testing of a style guide and related materials
developed by an external consultancy. Due to the need to validate the work of
the consultants, the test was carried out immediately after delivery, before
the style guide had been put to use. Four developers independently designed a
user interface for the same application using the new style guide. The
interfaces were reviewed and compared and the experiences of the developers
observed and recorded. The technique is compared with other alternatives for
style guide evaluation. Keywords: Style guide, styleguide, how-to-guide, sample application, evaluation,
acceptance testing, usability, user interface, human-computer interaction. | |||
| A Domain Aware Tool for Guiding Requirements Capture and Design | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 100 | |
| Ian Rogers; Lydia Plowman; John Levine; Carol Pattison | |||
| EquipCo is a multi-national electronics company. One of its tasks is to
supply complex electronic systems that interact with customer supplied
equipment. These systems are usually low-volume and high-cost, so the task of
accurately capturing customer requirements is expensive but vital. This paper
describes the CORECT tool, a computerized tool that aids this requirements
capture process. The tool is notable in that it integrates many technologies
and methods (graphics, Natural Language Generation, and Expert Systems, CSCW,
ethnographic workplace studies etc.) to provide different users with multiple
perspectives onto the design artifact. A "permissive" user interface coupled
with a monitoring expert system seems to be very useful in guiding users
through the requirements capture process, allowing users enough freedom to
express a design while ensuring they never get lost. Keywords: requirements capture, CSCW, group work, multi-modal interface,
organizational memory, aide-memoir expert-systems | |||
| Sounds like HELP: The Use of Voice for Procedural Instructions in GUI HELP | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 108 | |
| Nina Reeves; Stella Mills; Jan Noyes | |||
| During a study considering the usability of a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
for discretionary, intermittent users, the on-line HELP was found to be
unsatisfactory from the point of view of flexibility and learnability. The HELP
system for a spreadsheet package was rewritten to incorporate spoken,
procedural instructions and the usability assessed in situ by considering the
task completion rates and times together with user satisfaction. A complex
picture emerged suggesting a follow-up study considering the learning styles of
the users. The results reported here are part of a larger case study. Keywords: Usability, GUI, on-line HELP, sound, multimedia, learning styles | |||
| Visual Coherence and Usability: A Cohesion Metric for Assessing the Quality of Dialogue and Screen Designs | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 115 | |
| L. L. Constantine | |||
| Abstract: Interface design metrics help developers evaluate user interface
quality from designs and visual prototypes before implementing working
prototypes or systems. Visual coherence, based on the established software
engineering concept of cohesion, measures the fit between the layout of user
interface features and their semantic content. Visually coherent interfaces
group semantically more closely related features together, enhancing
comprehension and ease of use. Preliminary research using a scenario-based
technique with built in validity checks found professional developers preferred
more visually coherent designs and rated them easier to use, even when these
departed from familiar dialogue conventions. Implications for design and
further research are discussed. Keywords: cohesion, cohesion metric, dialogue design, ease of use, interface design
metrics, scenario-based technique, screen design quality assessment, semantic
content, software engineering, software quality, usability, user interface
quality, visual coherence, visual prototypes, visually coherent interfaces,
working prototypes | |||
| Evaluating the Developers Interface to a kbs Shell: Some Reflections | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 122 | |
| E. A. Kemp | |||
| In this paper, the evaluation of the knowledge-based system (kbs) shell,
Nexpert, is reported. It has been argued that AI tools of this kind have not
had the success anticipated because of problems with the developer's interface.
It would appear that software of this type does not help users develop a good
conceptual model. An evaluation of Nexpert has been conducted using various
approaches. A group of students who had experience with the tool were asked to
fill in the Software Usability Measurement Inventory (SUMI) 50 item
questionnaire. The data was analyzed and various aspects of usability measured:
Learnability, Helpfulness, Affect, Control and Efficiency. An expert user and a
group of students were also interviewed to find out what they believed were the
best and worst aspects of the software. The overall results are discussed and
suggestions made for improving the interface of Nexpert. Keywords: interface evaluation, conceptual model, expert system shell | |||
| TUNE: A Tool for User Interface Evaluation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 129 | |
| T. Nordqvist | |||
| Abstract: The paper describes and discusses a prototype tool (TUNE) for
computer-supported evaluation of guideline and style guide compliance in user
interfaces. The aim of the tool is to facilitate the use of human factors
knowledge, in the form of guidelines and style guides, GLSG, when developing
user interfaces. After discussing the increased interest in GLSG compliance and
reasons for computer-support in this area, TUNE is presented, together with
experiences from practical use. With these experiences as a basis the possible
benefits in using the tool to evaluate GLSG compliance is discussed. The paper
finally presents the future development of TUNE, for example implementing more
GLSG. Keywords: GLSG compliance, TUNE, computer-supported evaluation, future development,
guideline compliance, human factors, prototype tool, style guide compliance,
user interface evaluation tool | |||
| Towards Effective Usability Evaluation in Asia: Cross-Cultural Differences | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 135 | |
| L. Herman | |||
| Abstract: A study of cultural effects on the reliability of objective and
subjective usability evaluation of software user interfaces is reported in this
paper. Subjects comprised actual users involved in a real system development
project. The results obtained indicated that cultural effects exist and exerted
a strong influence on the outcome of user interface evaluation. Implications of
the findings for practitioners are discussed in the paper. In particular, to
account for cultural effects the need to modify 'western' usability evaluation
methods for application in the Far East, is highlighted. Initial
recommendations for effective usability evaluation in the Far East are
proposed. Keywords: Asia, Far East, cross-cultural difference, cultural effects, human factors,
reliability, software evaluation, system development project, usability
evaluation, user interface evaluation | |||
| Subjecting CSCW to Business: A Model Curriculum for CSCW Validated Against Business Needs | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 138 | |
| K. Henschke; S. Howard | |||
| Abstract: Business and computing journals indicate a resurgence of interest
in the competitive advantages offered by groupware products. However, problems
and limitations in the development and implementation of such products suggest
a lack of understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of computer-supported
cooperative work (CSCW). A pilot study was conducted to formulate the core
content of a universal CSCW curriculum, a curriculum that includes topics from
a range of disciplines. Topics were extracted from existing CSCW syllabi and
supplemented with material found in research papers covering CSCW issues. The
proposed curriculum was then validated against a small sample of Australian
business managers and consultants. The findings highlight the interdisciplinary
nature of CSCW systems development and implementation. Implications of findings
for CSCW education of business graduates in information systems are discussed
together with directions for further research. Keywords: Australian business managers, CSCW, CSCW education, business graduates,
business journals, business needs, competitive advantage, computer-supported
cooperative work, computing journals, consultants, educational curriculum,
groupware, groupware products, information systems, model curriculum, pilot
study, research papers, systems development | |||
| Towards the Integration of Software Engineering and HCI Education: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach | | BIBA | Full-Text | 145 | |
| Chris Phillips; Elizabeth Kemp | |||
| In this paper, the intersection of software engineering (SE) and human-computer interaction (HCI) education is explored through an examination of some current textbooks, papers and curriculum proposals. It is argued that currently HCI is not well integrated with SE lifecycle models; that interface design is often perceived as a small part of overall system design; and that in current computer science curricula, HCI is often viewed as an 'add on'. There is a need for a more integrated approach, and for HCI issues to become SE issues. Recommendations for a cross-disciplinary approach to the teaching of these subjects in undergraduate courses in computer science are presented. | |||
| An Academic Response to Industrys Need for HCI Education: A Case Study | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 151 | |
| Judith H. Hammond | |||
| In the 1990s, organizations rely heavily on information technology to
support their operations and give them a competitive edge in the local and
global marketplace. The need to incorporate human-computer interaction (HCI),
and especially 'usability', into software design and system development is
increasingly evident. If industry is to pay more attention to improving the
usability of its software and systems, courses need to be established so that
students gain knowledge and skills that are important in the real-world and
experience realistic situations that address usability issues. To date, the
provision of HCI education for practitioners has not been addressed
substantively by most Australian universities. This paper presents one
university course that responds to industry needs. The paper describes the
course, its objectives, content, resources and some teaching strategies. It
also provides insights into problems of conducting courses relating to industry
needs and plans for future development of the academic program. Keywords: human-computer interaction, education, training, industry needs, HCI
curriculum, human factors, usability | |||
| Teaching Web Page Design: Challenges and Opportunities | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 157 | |
| Leoni Warne | |||
| This paper describes a research project in which a semester-long, tertiary
course was developed to teach students how to design home pages for the World
Wide Web. The course outcome was a series of web pages produced for clients
from the public and private sector. Students conducted a needs analysis which
showed that, in many cases, clients were keen to develop a presence on the Web
because of external, competitive factors, rather than a perceived
organisational need. Few clients knew the target audience they were trying to
reach and design options were conservative, or governed by designs already seen
on the Web. It appears that Web page design is very much technology driven,
rather than user-driven and this presents real challenges and opportunities for
HCI designers. Keywords: Education, Interface Design, Internet, Home Page, WWW, World Wide Web. | |||
| Comparing Interfaces: Should We Assume that Ease of Use Influences Users Preference? | | BIBA | Full-Text | 159 | |
| Phillip Treweek | |||
| This paper reports a comparison of student preference for GUI and CLI interfaces as exemplified by the Apple Macintosh and IBM PC compatible. The paper considers one of the basic assumptions of interface research -- namely that users will prefer the interface they find easier to use. The assumption has previously been considered intuitive, and there has been little research to consider the validity of such an assumption. This paper presents a summary of a quantitative analysis to show that the assumption is correct. | |||
| Scribble: A Diagram Editor with a Minimal Interface | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 162 | |
| James Noble | |||
| Existing CASE tool diagram editors have large, complex, and sophisticated
graphical user interfaces. Because of their size, these interfaces are
difficult to learn and hard to use. A minimal interface for a diagram editor
provides only the essential behaviour required by the user in the simplest
possible manner. Minimal interfaces are smaller than traditional interfaces,
and should be easier and quicker to use. Keywords: CASE tool, diagram editor, minimal user interface, interaction design. | |||
| Towards a Constructor Kit for Visual Notations | | BIBA | Full-Text | 169 | |
| Warwick B. Mugridge; John G. Hosking; John Grundy | |||
| BuildByWire is a constraint-based environment for specifying and implementing visual notations for environments developed using the MViews framework. Previous approaches to user-interface construction based on constraint propagation approaches have been limited We describe a new approach that avoids some of these difficulties through the use of the multi-directional constraints of Snart, an object-oriented extension of Prolog. | |||
| Generating Direct Manipulation Program Editors | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 177 | |
| M. Read; C. Marlin | |||
| Abstract: Language specific editors are cognisant of the syntax and
semantics of the programming language they manipulate. Despite the various
potential advantages of language specific editors, they have not been widely
accepted by software developers for serious software development. On the other
hand direct manipulation editors, which are also cognisant of the entities they
manipulate, have proven to be successful in other domains such as drawing and
VLSI design tools. Thus, it is worth while investigating the incorporation of
direct manipulation mechanisms into program editors. This paper presents a
technique for specifying direct manipulation editing of programs which is
amenable to the generation of language specific editors incorporating direct
manipulation from a specification of the desired editing mechanisms. Keywords: direct manipulation, direct manipulation editors, direct manipulation
mechanisms, editing mechanisms, language specific editors, program editors,
software development, text editing | |||
| Animating Indirect Manipulation in Direct-Manipulation Editors | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 184 | |
| C. R. Roast; J. I. Siddiqi | |||
| The notion of "cognitive dimensions" developed by Green provides an analytic
framework for assessing usability for a variety of information artifacts. The
work here describes a formal interpretation of dimensions in order to precisely
assess the suitability of interactive systems for particular tasks. The
particular dimension considered is viscosity -- this concerns the ease with
which information structures can be modified and updated within a given
environment. A formal interpretation of such a dimension has the benefit of
yielding practical measures and guidelines for assessment. This extends a
growing body of work concerned with formally characterizing interactive
properties that are significant to successful use. The context in which we
demonstrate our interpretation of dimensions is that of program modification,
where a program represents an information structure to be updated. The
framework developed provides an interpretation of empirical evidence regarding
software quality and modifiability. Keywords: Cognitive Dimensions, Formal Methods, Notations, Tools | |||
| A Visual Approach to Procedural Tutor Specification | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 190 | |
| R. H. Kemp; S. P. Smith | |||
| TANDEM (Task and Domain Environment Model) is a package for aiding the
design of procedural tutors. Using this system, domain experts and teachers
(the authors) can cooperate to produce an accurate model of a device or
procedure and also incorporate appropriate feedback for the potential users of
the simulation. This paper describes the interface to TANDEM and demonstrates
how graphical representation of domains and tasks aids the authors in the
production of their target system. Keywords: Human-computer interaction, Intelligent Learning Environments, Authoring
Systems | |||
| Behavior Sharing in Adaptable User Interfaces | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 197 | |
| Hung Wing; Robert M. Colomb | |||
| The practical contribution of this research is to remove the UI behavioural
conflicts existing in a compound software environment. From the user point of
view, editing text in a spreadsheet cell should not be any different from
editing text in a text editor or any other integrated software package.
However, this is not always the case since different UI applications may
inherit different UI techniques and behaviours. In this paper, an extended
object-oriented model and Documentary Petri Net (DPN) are used to model an
'adaptable user interface' system. In doing so, rule-bases can be added to the
DPN model allowing automatic reasoning about the user interface behaviours.
Furthermore, formal properties of UI behaviours such as 'liveness' and
'boundedness' can be analyzed by using algorithms based on the formal
properties of Petri Nets. Keywords: Adaptive User Interfaces, UIMS, Petri-Nets, GUI, Groupware Technology | |||
| Architecture Model for a User Interface Software Tool Supporting Application Independence | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 205 | |
| David Unterweger; Eugen Brenner | |||
| User interface software tools are based on architecture models which usually
fail to separate the application from the user interface as strictly as needed
for application independence. The architecture model proposed in this paper
tries to overcome this problem by providing a bi-directional mapping mechanism
for interaction objects. Interactions as well as user interface data are mapped
to textual messages which can be exchanged between the application and
interaction objects on the one hand and between different interaction objects
on the other hand. This solution facilitates independent development of
application and user interface. In particular the application programmer no
longer has to cope with details of the user interface program code. To show the
benefits of the proposed architecture a user interface tool supporting
graphical object editing is discussed. Keywords: user interface software, software architecture, software tool, direct
graphical specification, visual programming, graphical object editor. | |||
| Interactive Design Metric Visualisation: Visual Metric Support for User Interface Design | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 213 | |
| James Noble; Larry L. Constantine | |||
| Interactive metric visualization is a novel approach providing complex,
multi-dimensional feedback on the effects of layout changes in user interface
designs. A graphical overlay, based on the underlying rationale of quantitative
design metrics, provides immediate feedback, continually guiding designers
toward improved layouts. Effective visual metaphors, colour coding, and dynamic
updating enable designers to interpret and utilize more complex information
than from simple quantitative data or static overlays. This technique is
especially suited to accelerated design and development using modern visual
development tools. An experimental prototype for this approach is described and
initial experience is reported. Keywords: user interface design, design metrics, interface layout, graphical
representation, user interface design tools, task concordance, visual
coherence, layout uniformity | |||
| Relating Knock-on Viscosity to Software Modifiability | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 222 | |
| C. R. Roast; J. I. Siddiqi | |||
| The notion of "cognitive dimensions" developed by Green provides an analytic
framework for assessing usability for a variety of information artifacts. The
work here describes a formal interpretation of dimensions in order to precisely
assess the suitability of interactive systems for particular tasks. The
particular dimension considered is viscosity -- this concerns the ease with
which information structures can be modified and updated within a given
environment. A formal interpretation of such a dimension has the benefit of
yielding practical measures and guidelines for assessment. This extends a
growing body of work concerned with formally characterising interactive
properties that are significant to successful use. The context in which we
demonstrate our interpretation of dimensions is that of program modification,
where a program represents an information structure to be updated. The
framework developed provides an interpretation of empirical evidence regarding
software quality and modifiability. Keywords: Cognitive Dimensions, Formal Methods, Notations, Tools | |||
| Reuse in the Eye of Its Beholder: Cognitive Factors in Software Reuse | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 228 | |
| J. L. Cybulski | |||
| Abstract: We investigate the impact of human cognition on developers'
ability to effectively reuse software artefacts. We look at the cognitive
impediments to and furtherance of software reuse. We review the computing
models of human knowledge and reasoning which may assist in the emulation of
our abilities to reuse software. Finally we investigate the possibility of
integrating human and machine capabilities to arrive at the efficient method of
software reuse. Keywords: cognitive factors, cognitive impediments, computing models, human cognition,
human knowledge, human reasoning, software reusability, software reuse | |||
| Using Object-Z to Specify a Web Browser Interface | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 236 | |
| A. Hussey; D. Carrington | |||
| Abstract: A specification describes the functions which a system provides to
its users without explanation of how those functions are implemented. A
specification of an interactive system's user-interface is an abstract
description of the interactive system itself. Such a specification indicates
which functional aspects of the system are perceivable by the user and the
logical organisation of information provided by the interface. To illustrate,
we specify the user-interface for a World-Wide-Web browser. We use Object-Z, a
formal specification and design language. Formal methods are increasingly
accepted for specifying functional aspects of software systems, however their
use in user-interface development is less common. This is despite widespread
support for the view that formal methods ease system development. We
demonstrate that Object-Z can be used to specify, the user-interface for an
interactive system. Such a specification may form the basis for an Object-Z
user-interface design. Keywords: Object-Z, World-Wide-Web browser, abstract description, formal
specification, formal specification and design language, interactive system's
user-interface, web browser interface | |||
| Do it This Way: Equal Opportunity Programming for Kids | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 246 | |
| Andy Cockburn; Andrew Bryant | |||
| End-user programming is becoming increasingly common -- from setting the
controls on a VCR to creating a home-finance spreadsheet. This paper describes
Leogo, a novel user-interface that promotes programming skills in primary and
junior schools. Users can express their programming tasks through any mixture
of three concurrently active programming paradigms: by direct-manipulation
using 'programming by demonstration'; by clicking buttons and dragging sliders
in an iconic language; and by typing commands in a normal text-based language.
Leogo's design, development, and evaluation are described. Keywords: Equal opportunity interfaces, educational environments, programming
paradigms. | |||
| The Oval Menu -- Evolution and Evaluation of a Widget | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 252 | |
| P. J. Lyons; M. Pitchforth; D. Page; T. Given; M. D. Apperley | |||
| Abstract: This paper describes the development and heuristic evaluation of
the oval menu, a widget for use in applications for drawing networks and
similar linked structures. It is a variety of pie menu, capable of being
organised as a hierarchy and of having its contents updated dynamically. Thus
it is suitable for environments where libraries of components are created and
used. Care has been taken to optimise it for use as a direct manipulation tool.
The oval menu has been implemented for use on PC and PC-compatible computers
running Windows and Windows95. It is written in Microsoft Visual C++ and uses
the Microsoft Foundation Classes. It is a DLL, and the component libraries it
uses are also DLLs, so it is easily adaptable for use by other applications. Keywords: DLL, Microsoft Foundation Classes, Microsoft Visual C++, Windows, Windows95,
direct manipulation tool, drawing, graphical user interfaces, heuristic
evaluation, oval menu, personal computer, pie menu, software libraries, widget | |||
| The Design of a Pen-Based Musical Input System | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 260 | |
| J. Anstice; T. Bell; A. Cockburn; M. Setchell | |||
| Computerising the task of music editing can avoid a considerable amount of
tedious work for musicians, particularly for tasks such as key transposition,
part extraction, and layout. However the task of getting the music onto the
computer can still be time consuming and is usually done with the help of bulky
equipment. This paper reports on the design of a pen-based input system that
uses easily-learned gestures to facilitate fast input, particularly if the
system must be portable. The design is based on observations of musicians
writing music by hand, and an analysis of the symbols in samples of music. A
preliminary evaluation of the system is presented, and the speed is compared
with the alternatives of handwriting, synthesiser keyboard input, and optical
music recognition. Evaluations suggest that the gesture-based system could be
approximately three times as fast as other methods of music data entry reported
in the literature. Keywords: gesture interface, handwriting, key transposition, light pens, music data
entry, music editing, music layout, optical music recognition, part extraction,
pen-based musical input system, symbols, synthesiser keyboard input, time
consuming | |||
| Supporting Casual or Naive Users of Externally Derived Statistical Data | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 268 | |
| P. Hyland; H. Hasan; A. Fuentes | |||
| This paper describes a study of users of externally derived statistical data
(EDSD) in academic, business, government and non-government organisations. It
clarifies the terms casual user, naive user and novice user and applies these
concepts to categorise the survey respondents. The survey reveals that users of
EDSD are far more varied than has been previously thought. The paper identifies
the type of interfaces that are suitable for casual or naive users,
particularly for users of EDSD. Keywords: business, casual users, computer literacy, education, externally derived
statistical data, government, naive users, novice user, organisations, survey,
user interfaces | |||
| Methodologies in Tightly and Loosely Coupled Dynamic Information Ecologies | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 272 | |
| Mimi M. Recker | |||
| Network-accessible multimedia repositories are proliferating at a rapid
rate, providing the potential for people to access a wide variety of
distributed and dynamic information resources. This shift from traditionally
closed systems (such as books and CD-ROMs) to open systems (such as the WWW)
has resulted in the locus of control moving away from designers towards users.
Supporting interaction in these open systems, I argue, requires new approaches
based on both bottom-up and top-down methods of design and analysis. Using two
case studies, a method for each approach is presented. I conclude with a
discussion of the implications for the design of networked, interactive
multimedia. Keywords: Information Systems Applications, Human Factors, Evaluation | |||
| An Object-Oriented Approach for an Adaptive Interface with Dual-Classification of the User | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 279 | |
| Nathalie Mura; Philippe Francois | |||
| The focus of our work is to provide the users with an optimal working
environment for retrieval from database, without its intervention for any
modification. To do this, we develop an adaptive interface supported by user
models represented as stereotypes. In an object-oriented approach, we create
two hierarchies of stereotypes (taxonomies of classes). They class the user
according to criteria respectively independent and dependent to the database
domain, allowing respectively to adapt the syntax and the semantic of the
user-database interaction. The user works then in a fitted environment and
obtains adapted answers to his global need. Keywords: Adaptive interface, user model, hierarchy of stereotypes,
dual-classification, database | |||
| Tasks as Agents: Prototyping Task Models | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 286 | |
| Birgit Bomsdorf; Christian Geiger | |||
| Research has shown the significant importance of task models for the design
of human-computer interfaces. However, for encouragement in real projects there
is a lack of appropriate tool support for applying this modeling technique. In
this paper we suggest the use of an agent based execution of task models.
Agents as underlying architecture for the execution seem to fit naturally. The
transformation from tasks to agents is straightforward with respect to
similarity of the concepts. This technique allows to use prototypes very early
in the design process, improving the designer's and user's capabilities to
evaluate the model. Keywords: task models, user interfaces, prototyping, agents | |||
| Information Searching Preferences and Practices of Computer Science Researchers | | BIBA | Full-Text | 294 | |
| Sally Jo Cunningham; Lynn Silipigni Connaway | |||
| We present preliminary findings of an ongoing study of the ways that computer scientists seek, use, and store information when conducting research. Their preferred methods of information foraging has implications for the design of information retrieval systems for these researchers. Traditional indexing schemes based on controlled vocabularies see little use. Researchers rely heavily on browsing and citation searches -- information gathering techniques that are not well supported by existing indexes and retrieval systems. Not surprisingly, resources that can be immediately accessed from the user's office (particularly via the Internet) are preferred to those requiring a special trip to another location (such as a university library). | |||
| User Interfaces for Workflow Systems: Designing for End-User Tailorability | | BIBA | Full-Text | 302 | |
| Aaron Tay; Andy Cockburn | |||
| Workflow technology has been referred to as a 'technology for the nineties', and many commercial workflow systems are being released. Our research reviews workflow technology and its theoretical foundations, focusing on the barriers to workflow success, particularly the problems of workflow tailorability. The user interface requirements for workflow systems are examined using task-centred system design. A user interface for workflow specification, AWE, supports our investigations. | |||
| Cost-Effective Computer Security: Cognitive and Associative Passwords | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 304 | |
| John Podd; Julie Bunnell; Ron Henderson | |||
| Recall and guessing rates for conventional, cognitive, and word association
passwords were compared using 86 Massey University undergraduates. Respondents
completed a questionnaire covering all three password types, returning two
weeks later for a recall test. Each respondent also nominated a "significant
other" (parent, partner, etc.) who tried to guess the respondent's answers. On
average, cognitive items produced the highest recall rates (80%) but the
guessing rate was also high (39.5%). Word associations produced low guessing
rates (7%) but response words were poorly recalled (39%). Nevertheless, both
cognitive items and word associations showed sufficient promise as password
techniques to warrant further investigation. Keywords: Computers, security, passwords | |||
| Information, Artefacts and Management Strategies: The Personal Perspective | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 306 | |
| David Y. Lees; John F. Meech; Peter J. Thomas | |||
| A study was undertaken to explore the artifacts and strategies used by
mobile workers to manage their information. Using over 40 semi-structured
interviews, a number of common features were found to hold across the sample
group both in terms of the information that was maintained and the reasons why
it was carried. These results suggest that there is a rich diversity of
strategies for managing personal information, which may be embodied in common
artifacts such as diaries and address books. Consequently, these results have a
significant impact for the design of electronic devices for personal
information management. Keywords: Personal Information Management, Mobile Computing, Personal Digital
Assistants, Personal Technologies. | |||
| Evaluation of the Task-Action Grammar Method for Assessing Learnability in User Interface Software | | BIBA | Full-Text | 308 | |
| Judy Brown | |||
| Many approaches to evaluation of user interfaces in HCI exist. Most methodologies evaluate prototypes through user testing. Since user testing is expensive and time consuming, other methods are sometimes applied before user testing. These other approaches aim to identify problems through expert evaluation techniques. In this paper we present a novel use of the TAG (Task-Action Grammar) method as an evaluation tool to identify learnability problems in a interface prior to user testing. We find that the TAG assessment method revealed problems related to inconsistency and conceptual complexity in a design. | |||
| Implementing World Wide Web Forms: A Case Study | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 310 | |
| S. Willie | |||
| Implementation of a complex query interface which allows novice users to
select trees and shrubs suitable to their local growing conditions on the World
Wide Web (Web) users points out some problems in using the Web for information
delivery. A major limitation lies in implementing standards familiar to the
target users. The paper outlines tradeoffs which must be considered when
designing a complex forms interface for the Web and provides recommendations
arising from our work. Keywords: World Wide Web forms, complex forms interface, complex query interface,
information delivery, novice users, standards, target users, tradeoffs, user
interfaces | |||
| A Formative Model for Hand Input Devices in Virtual Environments or Haptic Manipulation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 312 | |
| Mike Edwards | |||
| A condensed version of a general and formative user model for a hand input
device in human-computer interaction is presented which arises from a single
subject case study developing guidelines for a postural interface in a virtual
environment. There was no model available in human-computer interaction, or
other fields related or otherwise, thus the impetus for formulating a model.
The user model though simplistic, amalgamates several factors, offering a
foundation for knowledge on hand input devices for haptic operation and in
virtual environments. Keywords: Hand Input Device (HID) user model, Virtual environments, Whole Hand Input
and Haptic operation | |||
| GIGA: A Pen-Based Constraint Drawing System | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 314 | |
| S. Kawachiya; T. Igarashi; S. Matsuoka | |||
| Traditional sketching/drawing tools on computers lacked the freedom of real
pens. They also ignore human perception. In order to avoid such limitation, we
developed new techniques such as interactive beautification with extended
pie-menu (PieSlider), sketch with perceptual recognition (PerSketch), the
function of layout according to human perception (PerLayout), and new data
structure for PerSketch. Prototype implementation on IBM pen PC and Xerox
Liveboard has shown that the system is fast and easy to use. Keywords: Pen-based drawing, Perceptual constraint, Perceptual layout, Interactive
beautification, Extended pie menu, CAI | |||
| Designing Interfaces for Culturally Diverse Users | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 316 | |
| Paula Bourges Waldegg; Stephen A. R. Scrivener | |||
| Cultural diversity is a phenomenon of increasing interest to HCI designers
given the development of global markets and multi-user applications, such as
Internet and CSCW. However, current HCI methods provide little specific
guidance on how to design systems that are usable by a culturally heterogeneous
user group. It is argued that the internalization -- localization process, here
called culturalization, is inappropriate for shared applications because it
deals with design for a specific, culturally homogeneous user group. This paper
describes a study designed to examine the nature of Internet application
usability problems due to cultural diversity. It is concluded that the main
issue is centered in the relation between representation and meaning. Finally,
a HCI design method that considers issues of cultural diversity, called
Non-specific Representations Method (NSRM), is outlined. Keywords: usability, interface, cultural diversity, shared applications,
representation, meaning, context | |||
| An Application Interface with Multiple Workspaces: The Context Switcher | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 318 | |
| Eva Schroeter; Jon D. Patrick | |||
| One difficulty in the design of user interfaces is the limited amount of
screen area available. A conflict arises between the need for displaying
numerous interface elements at one time and the danger of confusing the user
with too much information. The context switcher is designed to solve this
conflict for applications consisting of several related subtasks which will be
carried out repeatedly in varying sequence. The context switcher allows the
creation of a variety of working environments, called workspaces, which the
user can to switch. Each workspace provides an environment to fulfill a
different subtask based on shared data and contributing to the overall task.
The context switcher concept guarantees consistency of both data and metadata
across all workspaces whilst allowing them to be updated at will. Keywords: Application interface, multiple tasks, multiple workspaces,
task-orientation, data consistency | |||
| A New Interface for Querying Experts on Prerequisite Relationships | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 320 | |
| C. E. Dowling; U. Koch; K. A. Quante | |||
| A graphical user interface integrating a procedure for knowledge acquisition
is introduced. This querying procedure supports the expert by omitting
judgements which follow logically from previous ones, and by avoiding
contradictions. The new interface is designed to enrich the experts task, and
to reduce the number of the experts judgements. Keywords: graphical user interface, knowledge acquisition, prerequisite relationships,
querying experts | |||
| The Holistic Evaluation of Expert System Interfaces | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 322 | |
| S. M. Ots; E. A. Kemp | |||
| There has been little work done with respect to the evaluation of interfaces
to expert systems. A methodology for comparing expert systems in a holistic
fashion is discussed. The design of two interfaces to the same expert system
and their evaluation are reviewed. The qualitative analysis of the observations
and interview transcripts is discussed and the major findings with respect to
expert system interface issues reported. Keywords: holistic evaluation, expert systems, usability, qualitative analysis | |||
| HCI Factors Affecting Quality of Information in Crisis Management Systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 324 | |
| L. J. Dunn | |||
| The design of an efficient indexing system that enhances user access to
just-in-time information in crisis management systems offers new and
challenging research problems. In investigating the type of information
required by crisis managers to manage natural and man-made disasters, it became
clear that the HCI factors affecting quality of information made available to
the crisis manager affected not only the design of the index architecture but
placed additional demands on the design human-computer interface. The paper
discusses the HCI factors and presents justification for the design of the
interface. Keywords: HCI factors, command and control systems, crisis management systems, crisis
manager, human-computer interface, indexing system, just-in-time information,
quality of information | |||
| Global Telerobotics: Exploring Effective Internet Access to Robots | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 326 | |
| S. Hartfiel; L. Dunn | |||
| This paper describes an Industrial Automation research project at the
University of Wollongong, Australia. The project aims to develop a telerobotic
planning and control architecture and human robot interface that can be used
for intervention robots which require task level programming. In order to
investigate global telerobotic principles, the workspace will be made
accessible across the Internet via the World Wide Web. The paper describes the
experimental setup and implementation of this project, focussing on a
discussion of human robot interaction issues, such as interface design problems
and the use of a World Wide Web browser for user interaction. Keywords: Internet access, University of Wollongong, World Wide Web, World Wide Web
browser, global telerobotic, human robot interface, interface design,
intervention robots, robots, task level programming, telerobotics, user
interaction | |||
| User Interface Evaluation: A Comparison of 18 Techniques when Implementing the EU-Directive on Human-Computer Interaction | | BIBA | Full-Text | 328 | |
| Chris Stary; Thomas Riesenecker-Caba; Jorg Flecker | |||
| Several methodologies and criteria have been proposed for the evaluation of user interfaces. They stem from different disciplines and are based on different techniques for measurement. There exist only few structured reviews and catalogs for reviewing the different approaches. In this paper we report on a comparative study that has been performed in the course of putting the EC-Directive on Human-Computer Interaction to work. | |||
| Locales, Social Worlds and Support for Collaboration | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 332 | |
| Geraldine Fitzpatrick | |||
| Building collaborative systems based on an understanding of work is
difficult. We outline work in progress towards the development of a locales
framework which is aimed at bridging the gap between social studies of work and
systems design. This framework is based on Strauss' notion of social worlds and
the implications of individuals being involved in multiple social worlds
simultaneously. The locales framework describes the essential characteristics
of a collaborative environment, interpreting the notion of space from an
interaction rather than a simulation perspective. Keywords: CSCW, collaboration support, spatial metaphors, locale, social world,
interaction | |||
| W4: A World Wide Web Browser with CSCW support | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 334 | |
| Simon Gianoutsos | |||
| There has been much recent interest in using the World Wide Web to
facilitate distributed, cooperative work. Unfortunately, most existing Internet
tools do not provide adequate cooperative work support to make this possible.
This short paper describes how a simple Web browser was extended to support a
range of CSCW facilities, including telepointers, group awareness widgets, text
chats, collaborative notes, messages and URL annotations, and collaborative
editors. Keywords: CSCW, Group Awareness, Groupware, Shared Workspace, WWW | |||
| Object-Oriented Specification and Design of User Interfaces | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 336 | |
| Andrew Hussey | |||
| The specifier of a user-interface describes user-perceivable functions and
information organisation in an implementation independent way. The designer is
concerned with both the presentation and software structure of the
user-interface. The path from specification to software design can be assisted
by design patterns. In this paper we examine techniques for specification and
the design of both the presentation and software aspects of user-interfaces. We
outline our research strategy towards the generation of a specification and
design framework for developing user-interfaces. Keywords: User-interface specification and design, object-orientation, formal methods | |||
| Exploratory Study of Implicit Theories in Human-Computer Interaction | | BIBA | Full-Text | 338 | |
| Nicole Kaiyan | |||
| Development methodologies in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) embody unstated assumptions (implicit theories) of what is and what is not important in relation to their processes and intended products. This project aims to develop a framework for identifying implicit theories of interaction held by HCI methods used for user interface development. | |||
| Computer Support for Teaching and Learning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 340 | |
| Michael Klemme | |||
| This paper describes some opportunities and prerequisites for the use of
computers in education. To render electronic information systems useful, a high
degree of integration has to be achieved. Hypermedia systems can serve as a
basic integration platform for learning resources. However, for the day-to-day
use of these systems a range of tools need to be developed for creating
content, maintaining and navigating within the system. Keywords: Hypermedia, multimedia, computers in education, collaboration | |||
| Supporting Emergent Collaborative Work through the Use of Personal Technologies | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 342 | |
| David Y. Lees | |||
| Whilst there has been considerable progress in the development of the CSCW
in business organizations, some of the notions arising from modern
organizational thinking are not reflected by groupware developments. This
thesis examines the notion of emerging collaboration through the overlapping
personal interests and agendas of information-based workers. Building on
notions of knowledge work, Personal Information Management and informal
communication a bottom-up approach to groupwork is explored. This is contrasted
with other approaches which either i) use an explicitly top-down approach,
which imposes rigor and classification from upper- to lower-levels of the
organization, or ii) have no explicit model of the organization, but implicitly
use the organizational model through the use of it's technological and
communicational infrastructure. Keywords: Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Personal Information Management,
Personal Technology, Informal Communication | |||
| Generalizing Programming by Demonstration | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 344 | |
| Gordon W. Paynter | |||
| Programming by demonstration (PBD) is a term that describes a wide range of
end-user programming techniques that generate code from the user's examples.
Most systems that use PBD rely on knowledge of a specific application (domain
knowledge) and on ad hoc inferencing techniques to make sense of the user's
actions. This paper argues that it is possible and practical to build a PBD
system that incorporates domain knowledge without being restricted to a single
application and that uses general purpose learning algorithms. A methodology
for designing such a system and the author's current work in the area are
described. Keywords: programming by demonstration, intelligent interfaces, machine learning | |||
| Specifying Direct Manipulation within Program Editors | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 346 | |
| Michael Read | |||
| Language specific editors, since they are cognizant of the syntax and
semantics of the programming language they manipulate, should provide a number
of advantages for software developers. However, they have not been widely
accepted by software developers for serious software development. In other
domains, such as drawing and VLSI design, direct manipulation editors (which
are also cognizant of the entities they manipulate) have proven to be
successful. Consequently, the incorporation of direct manipulation into program
editors is worthy of investigation. Furthermore, the generation of editors from
descriptions of the language to be handled and the editing mechanisms to be
used has a number of advantages. Thus, this paper outlines a technique for
specifying direct manipulation editing of programs which is amenable to the
generation of language specific editors from a specification of the desired
editing mechanisms. Keywords: Language specific editors, direct manipulation, program editing, generation
of language specific editors, state machines. | |||
| Software Internationalization and Localization | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 348 | |
| Alvin Yeo | |||
| Software internationalization is a way in which software can be distributed
to the rest of the world without any change to the software. Besides economic
goals, other reasons motivate software internationalization. A list of factors
that need to be addressed in the internationalization and localization process
is given. Even though more people have access to computers, little is still
known about how different cultures interact with computers. An
internationalized spreadsheet has been created and will be used to detect
cultural differences in spreadsheet use. Keywords: software internationalization, localization, cultural differences,
spreadsheets | |||