A significant proportion of early HCI research was guided by one very clear vision: that the existing theory base in psychology and cognitive science could be developed to yield engineering tools for use in the interdisciplinary context of HCI design. While interface technologies and heuristic methods for behavioral evaluation have rapidly advanced in both capability and breadth of application, progress toward deeper theory has been modest, and some now believe it to be unnecessary. A case is presented for developing new forms of theory, based around generic “systems of interactors. ” An overlapping, layered structure of macro- and microtheories could then serve an explanatory role, and could also bind together contributions from the different disciplines. Novel routes to formalizing and applying such theories provide a host of interesting and tractable problems for future basic research in HCI.

Abstract. Much of the work reported in the first three DSVIS conferences has concentrated on techniques and languages for specifying and developing interactive systems. In this paper, we argue that a change of emphasis may be necessary as the field matures. We argue that real projects with specific objectives for formal methods are more likely to employ a range of diverse, lightweight modelling techniques. We explore this view by showing how, on one example, several quite different kinds of analysis can be performed using different models. 1

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Interface designers are increasingly relying on craft based approaches to compensate for a perceived lack of relevant theory. One such source is cinematography, where film-makers succeed in helping viewers follow the narrative across cuts which change the information on the screen. Cinematography has evolved over the last century, and its rules of thumb cannot be applied directly to interface design. We analyse film-makers' techniques with a cognitive theory (ICS) and show that they work by preserving thematic continuity across cuts. Expressing this theoretically allows us to extrapolate away from film, applying it to screen changes in interface design.

An extension to the seven-layer OSI Reference Model is proposed as a way to facilitate discussions between HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) practitioners on one hand, and application and network developers on the other. A new common conceptual ground can be used to understand how to link applications to human needs as a function of network capabilities. The framework also permits an understanding of how to determine whose purview an issue is. Finally, the new OSI+HCI reference model provides a strategy for designing networks with the human requirements in mind.

The problem of developing software to meet precise specifications has lead to the development of mathematical notations for expressing and reasoning about the behaviour of a required or extant system. In this paper we describe a different use of formal models: as tools for gathering and consolidating requirements on interaction between engineered systems and their users. This change in focus reflects the growing use of sophisticated interactive technology in domains, such as medicine, where human comfort or safety is an issue. Not only must software systems function correctly, but the demands that the interface places on users of those systems need to be understood. This problem can not be addressed by formal models in isolation. Instead, we describe an approach that uses formal models of human information processing to augment models of system functions. As a result it becomes possible, at an early stage in system design, to consider the role of human cognition in the correct behaviou...

The importance of applying formal methods in the design and development process of Interactive Systems is increasingly recognised. However it is still an open issue the identification of systematic methods able to support designers and developers in specifying and demonstrating properties of user interfaces. TLIM and ICO are two formal methods which have been used for this purpose with interesting results. They address similar concepts but also have different features which allow us to consider useful their integrated use to obtain synergistic and complementary results. In this paper we show their application to some examples in order to discuss similarities and differences and we outline a proposal for their integrated use. 1. Introduction In the domain of interactive systems, there is a lack of structured methods which can drive the work of designers and developers especially for applications which require sophisticated interaction techniques. We think that a valid answer to these p...

Theproblemofproducingaphotorealisticrenderingofagraphicalmodelcontinuestobethefocusof considerableresearcheffortinthecomputergraphicscommunity.However,photorealism isnottheonly possiblecriteriaforjudgingthevalueofanimage. In thispaperwestepbackfromthephysically--based modelthat underliesmanyoftheexistingapproachesto rendering,andinsteadconsidertherendering problemfromamorefundamentalview:howisgraphical informationprocessedbytheuser?Using differencesinartistictraditionsasourinitialmotivation,weidentifytheneedforanapproachtorenderingthat isbasedfundamentallyoncognitivetheory.Existingworkonnon--photorealisticrenderinghasstartedtotake steps thataddressthisneed,butusingamodelofcognitiveinformationprocessingweidentifyasignificant researchproblem: thequestforaminimalrenderingprocess.

This paper aims to provide a discussion of how model-based approaches and related tools have been used to address important issues for obtaining usable interactive software and the new challenges for this research area. The paper provides an analysis of the logical descriptions that can be used in the design of interactive systems and how they can be manipulated in order to obtain useful results. This type of approach has recently raised further interest in the ubiquitous computing field for supporting the design of multi-device interfaces. The new challenges currently considered are mainly in the area of end-user development, ambient intelligence, and multimodal interfaces.

Now that technology allows us to present photorealistic animations of scenically lit objects acting in real-time, the problem of computer graphics has changed from making displays recognisable, to ensuring that users notice what they are intended to see, without being distracted by irrelevant information. Worse than that, the use of veridical displays that are intended to be lifelike runs the risk of introducing unpredictable sources of information, that can lead users to infer all sorts of unwanted details.