Zoomable user interfaces (ZUIs) have received a significant amount of attention in the 18 years since they were introduced. They have enjoyed some success, and elements of ZUIs are widely used in computers today, although the grand vision of a zoomable desktop has not materialised. This paper describes the premise and promise of ZUIs along with…

As the use of mobile learning educational applications has become more common anywhere in the world, new concerns have appeared in the classroom, human interaction in software engineering and ergonomics. new tests of foreign languages for a number of purposes have become more and more common recently. However, studies interrelating language tests…

Software has an important role in supporting scientific work. This dissertation studies teams that build scientific software, focusing on the way that they determine what the software should do. These requirements engineering processes are investigated through three case studies of climate science software projects. The Earth System Modeling…

Although much has been said about ergonomics in interface and in computer tools and interface design, very few articles in major journals have addressed this topic in relation to language testing. This article describes an experiment carried out at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, in which 27 Media and Communication students provided…

How do you dynamically customize the programming language available in a context within an existing system, without changing the underlying system? This dissertation introduces a language design approach that addresses this problem. The basic idea is to structure programs as systems of multiple interacting levels of abstraction, where all of the…

The discipline of software engineering can be extended in a natural way to deal with the issues raised by a systematic approach to the design of human-machine interfaces. The user should be treated as part of the system being designed and projects should be organized to take into account the current lack of a priori knowledge of user interface…

This discussion of the design of computerized psychological assessment or testing instruments stresses the importance of the well-designed computer-user interface. The principles underlying the three main functional elements of computer-user dialogue--data entry, data display, and sequential control--are discussed, and basic guidelines derived…

Recent improvements in the human factors elements incorporated in the design of personal computer interfaces are illustrated by detailed analyses of two microcomputers and their word processors (Osborne 1/WordStar and Apple's Macintosh/MacWrite). The vital steps in operation are described through analyses of the behavioral requirements involved in…

This second in a series of six articles introducing microcomputer applications in smaller libraries describes the main microcomputer hardware components--processors, internal and external memory, buses, printers, communications, hardware. Importance of ergonomic factors in equipment design, multi-user and network configurations, and the role of…

This paper proposes a design for the electronic book based on discussions with frequent book readers. We adopted a conceptual framework for this project consisting of a spectrum of possible designs, with the conventional bound book at one difference pole, and the laptop computer at the other; the design activity then consisted of appropriately…

Compares the five classic graphic design principles used to construct visual messages--proportion, sequence, emphasis, unity, and balance--with relevant human factors research findings. Compiled by Williges and Williges (1981) these findings focus on the structuring of information for visual displays in interactive environments. (MBR)

This report is a collection of 11 recent papers by the Human-Machine Interaction Group at the University of California, San Diego. The following papers are included: (1) "Stages and Levels in Human-Machine Interaction," Donald A. Norman; (2) "The Nature of Expertise in UNIX," Stephen W. Draper; (3) "Users in the Real…

Explores design considerations for a functional microcomputer lab, including ergonomics and furnishings; access for the disabled; the use of other media; hardware security; and software security, including virus protection. A summary paragraph comments on the role of planning and forecasting. A bibliography of eight titles for further reading is…

Individual papers discussing various facets of human relationships with interactive computer systems present an analysis of direct manipulation interfaces; discuss notion of conceptual models shared by system and user and propose a design methodology for delivering models to users; and address the intelligibility of systems and importance of…