Towards culture-centred design

This paper addresses culturally rooted factors within user interface design. The design implications of globalisation are discussed, together with the related processes of internationalisation, localisation, ‘glocalisation’, iconisation and culturalisation, in order to establish a basis for a new approach to HCI design. The potential for a more diverse culture-centred, design-based system—‘Culture-Centred Design’ (CCD) is introduced, and a CCD process developed.A redesigned computer interface, incorporating a consistent and culturally rooted metaphor for a Chinese user target group is discussed. A culturally specific ‘garden’ metaphor is developed and applied as an alternative to the current global ‘office’ or ‘desktop’ metaphor. A working demonstration of the interface is piloted with a group of Chinese users to assess its success in terms of interactivity, usability and cultural significance. The overall results of the first two evaluation phases have shown very positive outcomes for the use of the CCD system and Chinese garden metaphor.     

Denotation and connotation in the human – computer interface: The ‘Save as …’ command

This paper presents a semiotic technique as a means of exploring meaning and understanding in interface design and use. This is examined through a study of the interaction between the ‘file’ metaphor and ‘save as’ command metaphor. The behaviour of these (from a functional or computational basis) do not exactly match, or map onto, the meaning of the metaphor. We examine both the denotation of a term to the user, i.e. its literal meaning to that person, and the term's connotations, i.e. any other meanings associated with the term. We suggest that the technique applied is useful in predicting future problems with understanding the use of metaphor at the interface and with designing appropriate signification for human-computer interaction. Variation in connotation was expected but a more fundamental difference in denotation was also uncovered. Moreover, the results clearly demonstrate that consistency in the denotation of a term is critical in achieving a good user understanding of the command.     

Orchestration,power, and educational technology: A response to Dillenbourg

This response is about the role of “orchestration” as a useful metaphor to assist the investigation of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) settings. The paper argues that current positions on orchestration are based on a technologically-orientated viewpoint on the issue of technological under-usage in schools. The paper suggests that this is a form of circular reasoning, and a distraction from the actual, socially shaped dynamics at play. The paper’s main contention is that orchestration is an opportunity to incorporate a more ‘sociological’ angle in TEL scholarship. Orchestration – as often used in the English language to signify ‘political work’ – is indeed a welcome addition to the field. Insofar as the metaphor allows teachers and researchers to recognise the complex interplay of influences, pressures, and expectations that surround the use of technologies. In other words, insofar as orchestration allows us to appreciate the ‘political’ nature of educational technology and the impacts of implementation. As such, orchestration can help us move away from an idealised understanding of teaching as a neutral practice, that is, the idea that teachers act always rationally, positively planning and executing their work to maximise learning for students.     

In Search of the ‘Magic Carpet’: Design and Experimentation of a Bimanual 3D Navigation Interface

Hardware and software advances are making real-time 3D graphics part of all mainstream computers. World Wide Web sites encoded in Virtual Reality Modeling Language or other formats allow users across the Internet to share virtual 3D ‘worlds’. As the supporting software and hardware become increasingly powerful, the usability of the current 3D navigation interfaces becomes the limiting factor to the wide-spread application of 3D technologies. In this paper, we analyze the human factors issues in designing a usable navigation interface, including interface metaphor, integration and separation of multiple degrees of freedom, mode switching, isotonic versus isometric control, seamless merger of the 3D navigation devices with the GUI pointing and scrolling devices, and two-handed input. We propose a dual joystick navigation interface design based on a real-world metaphor (bulldozer), and present an experimental evaluation. The results show that the proposed bulldozer interface outperformed the status quo mouse-mapping interface in maze travelling and free flying tasks by 25–50%. Limitations of and possible future improvements to the bulldozer interface are also presented.     

Networks and artworks: the failure of the user friendly interface

Abstract

This essay describes how communication systems have been used by a few artists and attempts to place their practice within the historical and critical context of postmodernist dialogue and, in particular, the evolution of a new communication paradigm. It also questions the value of ‘user-friendly’ user interfaces. By adopting metaphors which reflect existing media usage these interface tools reinforce traditional points-of-view and make it difficult, if not impossible, to investigate and develop a new multimedia context and ‘language’.     

The Cockpit Metaphor

Engineering design is increasingly being supported by automatic procedures capable of improving a design but which, nevertheless, require human guidance if they are to be successful. Such guidance requires an effective interface. One such interface, recently implemented within a complex engineering design tool, is based upon the Cockpit Metaphor which is the subject of this paper. The metaphor was invented by domain experts and a psychologist, not in response to a commission but as an innovative statement of a fruitful path which future engineering design tools might follow. This paper describes the context of the Cockpit Metaphor, the requirements influencing its incorporation in the Cockpit interface, the evaluations carried out, and the research issues raised.     

Mobile learning with a mobile game: design and motivational effects

Abstract Mobile technologies offer the opportunity to embed learning in a natural environment. This paper describes the design of the MobileGame prototype, exploring the opportunities to support learning through an orientation game in a university setting. The paper first introduces the scenario and then describes the general architecture of the prototype. The main part of the paper focuses on the evaluation of design issues and the effects observed in two trials. Design issues include: Supporting work on the move poses difficult interface questions, the accuracy of current outdoor, and indoor positioning systems is still problematic and the game requires near real-time response time. The evaluation of the effects shows that features such as ‘map-navigation’ and ‘hunting and hiding’ lead to excitement and fun. The participants immerse into a mixed reality that augments both physical and social space. The game success is based on the motivating design of the game itself. The paper concludes with open issues for future research, especially with the need to thoroughly evaluate the learning benefits.     

A flexible data schema and system architecture for the virtualization of manufacturing machines (VMM)

Future factories will feature strong integration of physical machines and cyber-enabled software, working seamlessly to improve manufacturing production efficiency. In these digitally enabled and network connected factories, each physical machine on the shop floor can have its ‘virtual twin’ available in cyberspace. This ‘virtual twin’ is populated with data streaming in from the physical machines to represent a near real-time as-is state of the machine in cyberspace. This results in the virtualization of a machine resource to external factory manufacturing systems. This paper describes how streaming data can be stored in a scalable and flexible document schema based database such as MongoDB, a data store that makes up the virtual twin system. We present an architecture, which allows third-party integration of software apps to interface with the virtual manufacturing machines. We evaluate our database schema against query statements and provide examples of how third-party apps can interface with manufacturing machines using the VMM middleware. Finally, we discuss an operating system architecture for VMMs across the manufacturing cyberspace, which necessitates command and control of various virtualized manufacturing machines, opening new possibilities in cyber-physical systems in manufacturing.     

The Cockpit Metaphor

Abstract

Engineering design is increasingly being supported by automatic procedures capable of improving a design but which, nevertheless, require human guidance if they are to be successful. Such guidance requires an effective interface. One such interface, recently implemented within a complex engineering design tool, is based upon the Cockpit Metaphor which is the subject of this paper. The metaphor was invented by domain experts and a psychologist, not in response to a commission but as an innovative statement of a fruitful path which future engineering design tools might follow. This paper describes the context of the Cockpit Metaphor, the requirements influencing its incorporation in the Cockpit interface, the evaluations carried out, and the research issues raised.     

Supporting tailorable program visualisation through literate programming and fisheye views

This paper describes the ‘Jaba’ program editor and browser that allows users to tailor the level of abstraction at which they visualise, browse, edit and document object-oriented programs. Its design draws on concepts from literate programming, holophrasting displays, fisheye visualisation and hypertext to allow programmers to rapidly move between abstract and detailed views of Java classes. The paper focuses on the motivation for, and user interface issues surrounding, the integration of these facilities in Jaba. Limitations in the current tools and theories for programming support are identified, and modifications are proposed and demonstrated. Examples include overcoming the static post-hoc documentation support provided by Javadoc, and normalising Furnas's ‘degree of interest’ fisheye visualisation formula to avoid excessive suppression of program segments.     

Towards developing perceivable tactile feedback for mobile devices

As mobile technologies such as cellular telephones reduce in both size and cost, and improve in fidelity, they become a more attractive option for performing tasks such as surfing the Web and accessing applications while on-the-go. The small size of the visual display limits the amount of information that can be presented, which may lead to cluttered interfaces. Tactile feedback (e.g. vibrations) provides one solution to reducing the burden on the visual channel. This paper describes a series of studies conducted with the goal of developing perceivable tactile icons (tactons) to aid in non-visual interactions with mobile applications. In contrast to previous work, our research addresses the development of pairs of tactons, rather than individual tactons, with the goal of conveying two-state signals such as ‘on/off’, ‘slower/faster’, or ‘left/right’. Such communication can help reduce visual demands associated with using mobile applications, allowing the device to convey important information while the users’ hands and eyes are otherwise occupied. Realistic conditions were simulated in a laboratory-based environment to determine how auditory distracters could affect the perception of tactons. Findings show that recognition rates differed depending on the design of the vibration pair parameters, and type of auditory distracter. This research culminated in a set of guidelines, which tactile interface designers can integrate as they design mobile applications to improve access, as well as insights which can guide future research on tactile feedback for mobile devices.     

Combining natural language with direct manipulation: the conceptual framework for a hybrid human-computer interface

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a conceptual model of an interaction system for future human-computer interaction. It is suggested that an integrated system is the most promising solution for diverse users and tasks. A ‘ hybrid interaction system’ is considered, which tries to efficiently direct manipulation, menu selection, and natural language. The mechanism of the natural language interface module is described in more detail. Finally, the allocation of functionalities for generalized tasks on the conceptual model is considered from the taxonomic approach.     

The new mexico state university ring-star system: A distributed unix environment

A distributed version of the UNIX operations system is currently under development through a joint effort of New Mexico State University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A microprocessor version of the UNIX kernel has been developed which will run on any PDP-11 or LSI-11 based processing element and allows processes to run in a UNIX ‘look-alike’ environment. Each process is fully transportable among all processors in the system. Although the preliminary version of the system was built in a star configuration, the system is currently being upgraded by the addition of a communication ring with 8-bit microprocessors as ring interface units. The current paper describes the software structure, the hardware structure and the communication protocol of the system.     

A communication system supporting large datagrams on a local area network

This paper describes an implementation of a software interface designed for use from within UNIX

1 UNIX is a trademark of A T & T Bell Laboratories.

application programs for network communications. This interface provides the abstraction of possibly very large datagrams, supports ‘scatter-gather’ facilities, and maintains standard network addresses consisting of (host number; port number) pairs. This interface has been provided on different data communication facilities, allowing uniform program access to those facilities. The particular implementation developed for a local area network is described, and performance results obtained are examined and compared with those obtained from a conventional datagram interface to that network. The results obtained confirm that the abstraction of very large datagrams enables the construction of an efficient mechanism for process-to-process communications over the network that is not only more convenient, but also has significant performance advantages over the use of conventional (small) datagrams.     

Parallel approaches to composite production: interfaces that behave contrary to expectation

This paper examines two facial composite systems that present multiple faces during construction to more closely resemble natural face processing. A ‘parallel’ version of PRO-fit was evaluated, which presents facial features in sets of six or twelve, and EvoFIT, a system in development, which contains a holistic face model and an evolutionary interface. The PRO-fit parallel interface turned out not to be quite as good as the ‘serial’ version as it appeared to interfere with holistic face processing. Composites from EvoFIT were named almost three times better than PRO-fit, but a benefit emerged under feature encoding, suggesting that recall has a greater role for EvoFIT than was previously thought. In general, an advantage was found for feature encoding, replicating a previous finding in this area, and also for a novel ‘holistic’ interview.     

Code generation using an orthogonal model

This paper describes a new systematic approach to code generation. The approach is based on an orthogonal model, in which implementation of language-level operators (‘operators’) and addressing operators (‘operands’) is achieved by two independent subtasks. Each of these phases is specified using a set of decision trees that encode the set of possible implementation templates for each language feature and the set of constraints under which each can be applied. Code selection in each phase is achieved by interpreting these trees using a single comprehensive selection algorithm. The method easily extends to machine independence across a large class of target computers by abstracting the implementation templates into machine-independent implementation strategies. The selection algorithm is then modified to select between implementation strategies based on a machine capability ‘menu’ that describes each target machine in terms of the subset of implementation strategies for which it has corresponding instruction sequences. The method has been used to implement a prototype machine-independent code generator for the Concurrent Euclid programming language whose generated code density is consistently within four per cent of production machine-dependent code generators across its entire target class of five modern computers.     

Component-based tailorability: Enabling highly flexible software applications

Component technologies are perceived as an important means to keep software architectures flexible. Flexibility offered by component technologies typically addresses software developers at design time. However, the design of software which should support social systems, such as work groups or communities, also demands ‘use-time’, or technically spoken, ‘run-time’ flexibility. In this paper, we summarize a decade of research efforts on component-based approaches to flexibilize groupware applications at run-time. We address the user as a ‘casual programmer’ who develops and individualizes software for his work context. To deal with the challenges of run-time flexibility, we developed a design approach which covers three levels: software architecture, user interface, and collaboration support. With regard to the software architecture, a component model, called FlexiBeans, has been developed. The FreEvolve platform serves as an environment in which component-based applications can be tailored at run-time. Additionally, we have developed three different types of graphical user interfaces, enabling users to tailor their applications by recomposing components. To enable collaborative tailoring activities, we have integrated functions that allow sharing component structures among users. We also present different types of support techniques which are integrated into the user interface in order to enable users’ individual and collaborative tailoring activities. We conclude by elaborating on the notion of ‘software infrastructure’ which offers a holistic approach to support design activities of professional and non-professional programmers.     

Punjabi DeConverter for generating Punjabi from Universal Networking Language

DeConverter is core software in a Universal Networking Language(UNL) system.A UNL system has EnConverter and DeConverter as its two major components.EnConverter is used to convert a natural language sentence into an equivalent UNL expression,and DeConverter is used to generate a natural language sentence from an input UNL expression.This paper presents design and development of a Punjabi DeConverter.It describes five phases of the proposed Punjabi DeConverter,i.e.,UNL parser,lexeme selection,morphology generation,function word insertion,and syntactic linearization.This paper also illustrates all these phases of the Punjabi DeConverter with a special focus on syntactic linearization issues of the Punjabi DeConverter.Syntactic linearization is the process of defining arrangements of words in generated output.The algorithms and pseudocodes for implementation of syntactic linearization of a simple UNL graph,a UNL graph with scope nodes and a node having un-traversed parents or multiple parents in a UNL graph have been discussed in this paper.Special cases of syntactic linearization with respect to Punjabi language for UNL relations like ’and’,’or’,’fmt’,’cnt’,and ’seq’ have also been presented in this paper.This paper also provides implementation results of the proposed Punjabi DeConverter.The DeConverter has been tested on 1000 UNL expressions by considering a Spanish UNL language server and agricultural domain threads developed by Indian Institute of Technology(IIT),Bombay,India,as gold-standards.The proposed system generates 89.0% grammatically correct sentences,92.0% faithful sentences to the original sentences,and has a fluency score of 3.61 and an adequacy score of 3.70 on a 4-point scale.The system is also able to achieve a bilingual evaluation understudy(BLEU) score of 0.72.     

The metaphor machine: A database method for creativity support

This paper shows how a data base method can be applied to the automatic generation of metaphors. The utility of automatic metaphor generation is based on providing interactive support to creative human thinking processes. Such interactive support systems have been called Idea Processing systems, and are seen as special qualitative types of Decision Support Systems (DSS). They include functions to support metaphorical thinking as well as other modes of creative idea development. The paper presents brief backgrounds references on creativity and the relevance of metaphors, as well as to previous work in Idea Processing. It then presents a relational data base method for automatic metaphor generation. The method is described and illustrated, as well as shown in relational algebra and relational calculus notation. In conclusion, the paper indicates how the relational data base method presented can be operationalized through using existing data base software or by integration with a specialized interface for the particular application of metaphor generation.