Human Computer InteractionCSC 4730-100

User System InterfaceCSC 8570-001

Class Meeting 6October 2, 2012

Outline for Evening

• One-minute assessment• Research project issues• Table creation revisited• Augmenting GUEPs and CDs• Course themes reprise• Edge and Blackwell concept map

One Minute Assessment

Do not put your name on the paperOn one side of the paper, list• The two most important concepts that you

have learned so far.On the other side of the paper, list• The thing (or things) that you are most

confused about.

Research Project IssuesMy question: • Suppose your hypothesis says that design A is faster than

design B.• You gather timing data from a number of subjects (say N=23)• You compute the average total task time (summed over a

number of tasks)– Design A: 13.68 seconds– Design B: 15.12 seconds

• Do the data support your hypothesis? [Note data is plural.]• What is the negation of the previous statement?

If your results need a statistician, then you should design a better experiment. -- Baron Ernest Rutherford

My Question (2)• What statistical test do you use to check your assertion?• Do you need more information to use the test? If so, what?• Do you need to make assumptions to apply the test? If so,

what?• Does this plan for the statistical treatment of the data make

sense?

Research Project Issues

• Your questions:

Table Creation

• Interesting semantic question arose– Relevant to Consistency GUEP– Related questions in spreadsheet and word

processing systems• In a spreadsheet, which cell becomes active

when the user taps– Tab– Enter– Another navigation key

Table Creation (2)

• In a word processing system, when entering data into a table, which cell becomes active when the user taps– Tab– Enter– Another navigation key

• How might one model these situations?

Augmenting GUEPs and CDs

Our goals:• Rephrase GUEPs and CDs, if necessary• Develop examples of interface items described

by GUEPs and CDs• Relate the approaches embodied in GUEPs

and CDsSee the handout for a summary of GUEPs and CDs

Themes

• Models, theories, frameworksForm a foundation for understanding• What users want (What do they want?)Which is interpreted by the• Design principle hierarchy– GUEPs (Generative User Engineering Principles)– General design principles– Implementable design guidelines

Themes (2)Users are directed in their approach to a system by• Mental models– Problem space version: Set of states and paths from one

state to the next leading to a solution– Theory version: What users believe to be true about

particular domains, devices, or systemsAnd• The cognitive dimensions (CDs) of understanding

(which describe ways of thinking).– Related to GUEPs as described by the 14 by 9 matrix.

Themes (3)

We have devised a path from abstraction to implementation based on:

• Cognitive dimensions• GUEPs• Design principles• Task analysis

Task Analysis

Preparing for task analysis• Tasks vs. goals• Hierarchical task analysis vs. GOMS• ConcurTaskTrees– http://giove.cnuce.cnr.it/ctte.html

ConcurTaskTreesTask Types

Type Action Example

User No system interaction

Read a message

Abstraction Complex User sessionApplication No user

interactionPerform a database query

Interaction User and system together

Click a button

ConcurTaskTreesOperators

Temporal OperatorsIcon Description Syntax[] Choice T1 [] T2|=| Order

IndependencyT1 |=| T2

||| Concurrent T1 ||| T2|[ ]| Concurrent with

information exchange

T1 |[ ]| T2

[> Disabling T1 [> T2|> Suspend/Resume T1 |> T2>> Enabling T1 >> T2[] >> Enabling with

information exchange

T1 [] >> T2

T1Connection[ T1 ]Optional [ ]T1 *Iterative *SyntaxDescriptionIcon

Unary Operators

Tangible User Interfaces

• What are they?– Definition– Examples

Anand Agarawala: 2007

• TED talk on BumpTop

John Underkoffler: 2010

• TED talk on tangible interfaces

Silly Aside

Exercise: For the 26 3-character strings, [A-Z]UI, give the definition or description of the user interface described by the acronym.

For example, GUI stands for Graphical User Interface and describes any interface using icons or other graphical elements to access data or operations.

TUI (2)

• What is the power of a WIMP interface?– Is the analysis (done by Edge and Blackwell) of its

actions correct?

TUI (3)

• What is the power of a TUI?– What does “power” mean in this context?

TUI (4)Top level concepts• Physical layer; physical tokens

– Aligning tokens; lines of tokens– Stacking tokens

• Virtual layer– Synchronization with physical layer– Feedback: visual, auditory, tactile– Abstraction of time

• Virtual – Physical Level– Degree of embodiment– Degree of synchronization– Degree of coherence

TUI (5)

• Manipulable solid diagrams• Tokens; token aggregation– Object order– Continuous values– Token association

• Superior to WIMP– uses DM more effectively– uses D of F with hands more efficiently

Example• What do you want from a mapping system?• Does this match with what the system provides?• Explore– Mapquest– Google Maps– Yahoo Maps– Mappy.com– AAA.com– Microsoft Streets and Trips

Example• What do you want from a rapid transit routing

system?• Does this match with what the system provides?• Explore– Atlanta MARTA– Philadelphia SEPTA– Washington DC Metro– San Francisco BART– Denver DART

Next Time

• Continue work on research project, completing experimental material and IRB form.

Research Team Meetings