Year: 1991
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: A variety of theoretical approaches to HCI have been proposed in recent years.HCI theories not only have to account predictively for the observed phenomena in interaction but should also be able to demonstrate their utility in improving the design quality of HCI products.The key question to be addressed in this panel is how HCI theories can, and possibly do, influence the design process.Three approaches will be examined.First is the emulation-based theory of design developed by John Carroll and his group at IBM, Yorktown heights.This proposes that designed artifacts (i.e.successful designs and systems) effective embody HCI theory as it is practiced in the field.Design is advanced by generation, evaluation and evolution of artifacts.The second approach, advocated by Richard Young and his colleagues at the Applied Psychology Unit in Cambridge, is to apply cognitive models and architectures to HCI design.This approach will explore how cognitive simulation models can be applied to the design process and the properties required by such theoretical-based models so that they are tractable and usable by designers.The third approach, proposed by John Long and his colleagues at the Ergonomics Unit, University College, London, proposes the development of prescriptive engineering design principles, both substantive and methodological, which in the long term would support practices seeking solutions to the general design problem of HCI.The principles would derive from an engineering conception of HCI, which in the short term supports the development of techniques and methods for effective design.The proponents will discuss how their approaches can support design practice and the ways in which theories are made available to the designer, either as artifact-products, predictive models, prescriptive guidelines and methods, or simply as designers' "tools for thought". THE PANELISTSJohn Carroll is manger of User Interface Theory and design at the IBM Watson Research Centre in Yorktown Height, New York.His research is in the analysis of learning, problem solving and language capacities that underlie endeavour and experience, especially human interaction with computers.
Language: English
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1978932592