Book Author: Thomas EricksonCHAPTER 6: A Creative Programming Environment
Henry Lieberman
MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Summary
In this paper, Henry Lieberman recounts how he got introduced to David Canfield Smith's 1975 thesis paper: "Pygmalion: A Creative Programming Environment." Lieberman beleives this paper was very much innovative, and introduced what we know today as the "icon". He also credits the paper for conceiving of programming as a process of animation using successive states of the graphic display to represent successive states of the program. Most importantly, this paper introduces the idea of programming by example. This paper has been instrumental in shaping the author's focus of research.
The author uses this example from his life to give us advice on how we show go about doing research. Indeed, Smith's paper was not particularly well known, however, we can now appreciate its impact, and importance. Once must have the courage to pursue his/her ideas whether they are popular or not to the academic community.
In this paper, Henry Lieberman recounts how he got introduced to David Canfield Smith's 1975 thesis paper: "Pygmalion: A Creative Programming Environment." Lieberman beleives this paper was very much innovative, and introduced what we know today as the "icon". He also credits the paper for conceiving of programming as a process of animation using successive states of the graphic display to represent successive states of the program. Most importantly, this paper introduces the idea of programming by example. This paper has been instrumental in shaping the author's focus of research.
The author uses this example from his life to give us advice on how we show go about doing research. Indeed, Smith's paper was not particularly well known, however, we can now appreciate its impact, and importance. Once must have the courage to pursue his/her ideas whether they are popular or not to the academic community.
Discussion
This paper illustrates once again how a researcher worked on innovative, and ground-breaking research but did not receive much attention. The author uses this example to encourage us to pursue our endeavours, as we never know how much contributions we could be making.
CHAPTER 7: Fundamentals in HCI: Learning the Value of Consistency and User Models
Sara Bly
Sara Bly Consulting, Oregon, U.S.A.
Summary
The author then goes to point out how some of the UI design models layed out in the Xerox Red Book are still relevenat today, and useful.
Discussion
Though Weiser did not live long enough to witness the "revival" of his work on ubiquitous computing, the notion is an important one that is talked about a lot today.
Sara Bly
Sara Bly Consulting, Oregon, U.S.A.
Summary
In this paper, Sara Bly discusses the Xerox Red Book, a functional specification that details the user interface for the first Xerox Star workstation built in the 1980's. She explains how this document has been influencial to her, and goes on to describe three main ideas that are discussed in the book:
- User Interface Specification: the UI was specified before the development of the workstation hardware and software; the UI was considered of primary importance to the design
- Consistency: the UI incorporated the notion of selection and action. An object was first selected and then an action was performed always giving the user the option to or not to perform an action.
- Desktop Metaphor: It offered the user a conceptual model upon which to understand the use and functionality of the system.
Discussion
This paper introduces the Xerox Red Book as an important document for UI design. Though only accessible through the Xerox Archive or PARC library, many papers have been written about it that can be used to learn about UI design.
CHAPTER 9: The Disappearing Computer
Norbert A. Streitz
Fraunhofer IPSI, Darmstadt, Germany
Summary
In this paper, Norbert Streitz introduces us to Mark Weiser, and his September 1991 paper "The Computer for the 21st Century" published in Scientific America. This document talks about how the role of computers would change once computers were made available in a ubiquitous fashion. Streitz has been greatly influenced by this paper, and recounts some of his work with Xerox's "LiveBoard", an interactive display. He mentions his attempt to employ Weiser's idea of making the computer disappear, and providing the user with the information hs/she wants. Two types of disappearances are mentioned.
- Physical disappearance: integration of devices in other everyday artifacts.
- Mental disappearance: the situation in which artifacts are not seen as computers but rather as ordinary objects.
Streitz then details two concepts that stem from Weiser's paper:
- System-Oriented, Importnate Smartness
- People-Oriented, Empowering Smartness
Discussion
This paper was interesting to read. It gave a good account of the origins of the notion of ubiquitous computing. It is a term we often here today, but in fact Weiser had talked about it since the early 1990's.
CHAPTER 10: It Really Is All About Location!
Anin K. Dey
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Summary
As mentioned in the previous summary, we attribute to Mark Weiser the notion of ubiquitous computers. In this paper, Anin Dey talks about a paper entitled: "The Active Badge Location System" written in 1992. The authors were Roy Want, Andy Hopper, Veronica Falcao, and Jon Gibbons. This is an example of how researchers attempted to apply ubiquitous computing. The Active Badge System was an indoor positioning system developed at Olivetti Research. it was the first location-based system. The way the system works is that users, in an indoor facility, wear a badge that relays via sensors their location to a receptionist who can then use their location to route calls, and messages. The system also explored transferring a user's terminal screen from one place to another based on the user's location. The author explains that the Active Badge System has laid the foundation for a lot of today's location based services such a GPS systems, google maps, etc...
Dey also explains how this system influenced his work on context-aware systems.
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Summary
As mentioned in the previous summary, we attribute to Mark Weiser the notion of ubiquitous computers. In this paper, Anin Dey talks about a paper entitled: "The Active Badge Location System" written in 1992. The authors were Roy Want, Andy Hopper, Veronica Falcao, and Jon Gibbons. This is an example of how researchers attempted to apply ubiquitous computing. The Active Badge System was an indoor positioning system developed at Olivetti Research. it was the first location-based system. The way the system works is that users, in an indoor facility, wear a badge that relays via sensors their location to a receptionist who can then use their location to route calls, and messages. The system also explored transferring a user's terminal screen from one place to another based on the user's location. The author explains that the Active Badge System has laid the foundation for a lot of today's location based services such a GPS systems, google maps, etc...
Dey also explains how this system influenced his work on context-aware systems.
Discussion
This paper was a good read, and gave a concrete example of how one can apply ubiquitous computing. We can easily see how location based systems are widely used today especially in GPS, and mobile phone.
CHAPTER 46: The Essential Role of Mental Models in HCI: Card, Moran, and Newell
Kate Ehrlich
IBM Research, Cambridge, Massachussetts, U.S.A.
Summary
This paper examines a concept of mental models put forward by Card, Moran, and Newell in 1983 in their book, "The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction", and its impact on HCI. The book is important as it provided the field of HCI testable theory that bridged the gap between psychological theories of human processing, and the emerging discipline of interface design.
The author also describes the GOMS model:
The GOMS system also provided tools for building models of human behavior.
The author finally explains how there exists tension between, computer scientists, engineers, and psychologists in establishing a link between science and design. Are those two seperate ntions?
Kate Ehrlich
IBM Research, Cambridge, Massachussetts, U.S.A.
Summary
This paper examines a concept of mental models put forward by Card, Moran, and Newell in 1983 in their book, "The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction", and its impact on HCI. The book is important as it provided the field of HCI testable theory that bridged the gap between psychological theories of human processing, and the emerging discipline of interface design.
The author also describes the GOMS model:
- Goals: set of things the user wants to do
- Operators: actions that belong in a user's repertoire
- Methods: sequence of subgoals and operators to achieve the goals
- Selectional Rules: having the choice of using the mouse or the keyboard to perform a task.
The GOMS system also provided tools for building models of human behavior.
The author finally explains how there exists tension between, computer scientists, engineers, and psychologists in establishing a link between science and design. Are those two seperate ntions?
Discussion
In my opinion mental models are what allow users to use computers without having to think too much about what's going on "under the hood of the machine". Mental models can be useful, especially when design UI.
CHAPTER 47: A Most Fitting Law
Gary M. Olson
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.
Summary
The author then explains the influence of Fitt on his own life, and work.
Gary M. Olson
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.
Summary
HCI is mostly based on qualitative methods. The practice of doing user-centered designe relies mostly on heuristics, checklists, surveys, interviews and iterative testing. Laws are not really established in HCI except for Fitt's law which Gary Olson explains to us. This well known law was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 1954. The paper in question relates three experiments which provided data for a formulation of the mathematical expression of th law.
The law is: MT=a+b log2(2A/W) where MT is movement time, and a and b are empirically determined constants. A is the distance of movement, and W is the width of the target. This law has led to a number of interface innovations. Design ideas based on this law are:
- pop-up menus
- Fittsizing a menu
- Organization of walking menus
- Expanding items as you move toward them (MAC)
Discussion
This paper was a good read, and gave insightful information on what we take today as granted, such as pop-up menus, and fittsizing menus.
No comments:
Post a Comment