As noted almost a decade ago, HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) aspects of visual language environments are under-developed. This remains a fact, in spite of the central role played by user interfaces in the acceptance and usability of visual languages. We introduce ZVTM, a toolkit aimed at promoting the development of HCI aspects of visual environments by making the creation of interactive structured graphical editors easier, while favoring the rapid integration of novel interaction techniques such as zoomable user interfaces, distortion lenses, superimposed layers, and alternate scrolling and pointing methods. 1.

Modes allow a few inputs to invoke many operations, yet if a user misclassifies or forgets the state of a system, modes can result in errors. Spring-loaded modes (quasimodes) maintain a mode while the user holds a control such as a button or key. The Springboard is an interaction technique for tablet computers that extends quasimodes to encompass multiple tool modes in a single spring-loaded control. The Springboard allows the user to continue holding down a nonpreferred-hand command button after selecting a tool from a menu as a way to repeatedly apply the same tool. We find the Springboard improves performance for both a local marking menu and for a non-local marking menu (“lagoon”) at the lower left corner of the screen. Despite the round-trip costs incurred to move the pen to a tool lagoon, a keystroke-level analysis of the true cost of each technique reveals the local marking menu is not significantly faster.

Copy-and-paste, one of the fundamental operations of modern user interfaces, can be performed through various means (e.g. using the keyboard, mouse-based direct manipulation or menus). When users copy and paste between two different windows, the process is complicated by window management tasks. In this paper, we propose two new window management techniques to facilitate these tasks in the particular case of partially overlapping windows. We describe an experiment comparing four commonly used copy-andpaste techniques under four window management conditions – non-overlapping windows, partially overlapping windows, and partially overlapping ones with one of our two window management techniques. Results show that our new window management techniques significantly reduce task completion time for all copy-and-paste techniques. They also show that X Window copy-and-paste is faster than the other three techniques under all four window management conditions.

A number of experimental studies based on domain-specific tasks have evaluated the efficiency of navigation techniques for searching multi-scale worlds. The discrepancies among their results call for a more generic framework similar in spirit to Fitts ’ reciprocal pointing task, but adapted to a task that significantly differs from pure pointing. We introduce such a framework based on an abstract task and evaluate how four multi-scale navigation techniques perform in one particular multi-scale world configuration. Experimental findings indicate that, in this context, pan & zoom combined with an overview is the most efficient technique of all four, and that focus + context techniques perform better than classical pan & zoom. We relate these findings to more realistic situations, discuss their applicability, and how the framework can be used to cover a broad range of situations.

This article summarizes the process I have developed to describe, evaluate and facilitate the creation of novel interaction techniques. First, it presents the CIS model for describing interaction techniques and predicting their effectiveness in real contexts of use. CIS shows that there is no absolute best technique but that performance depends on the context of use. The article then shows how to improve a technique by optimizing subcomponents of its CIS structure. Finally it describes SwingStates, a toolkit designed to help develop novel interaction techniques by exploring different CIS structures. ACM Classification: D.2.2 [Design tools and Techniques]:

This article summarizes the process I have developed to describe, evaluate and facilitate the creation of novel interaction techniques. First, it presents the CIS model for describing interaction techniques and predicting their effectiveness in real contexts of use. CIS shows that there is no absolute best technique but that performance depends on the context of use. The article then shows how to improve a technique by optimizing subcomponents of its CIS structure. Finally it describes SwingStates, a toolkit designed to help develop novel interaction techniques by exploring different CIS structures. ACM Classification: D.2.2 [Design tools and Techniques]: