03 The Interaction

chapter 3
the interaction
Introduction
• We have studied about The Human, The

Computer in previous lectures
• We are not concerned with them in
isolation
• We are interested in, how user uses the
computer to perform a specific task
– In order to do this the user must
communicate his requirements to computer
Interaction
• There are number of ways in which the

user can communicate with the system
– At one extreme is batch input
• In which the user provides all the information to the
computer at once and leaves the machine to
perform the task
– At the other extreme are highly interactive input
devices and paradigms
• Direct Manipulation
• Virtual Reality
• Here the user is constantly providing instructions
and receive feedback
Model of Interaction
• Interaction involve at least two participants
– The Human and The Computer
– Both are complex as we have seen
• The interface effectively translate between
them to allow the interaction to be
successful
• This translation can fail at a number of
point and for a number of reasons
• The use of model can help us to
understand what is actually happening and
find root of difficulties
models of interaction
Some terms of interaction

Norman model
Interaction framework
Some terms of interaction
Domain – the area of work under study

e.g. graphic design
Goal – what you want to achieve
e.g. create a solid red triangle
Task – how you go about doing it
– ultimately in terms of operations or actions
e.g. … select fill tool, click over triangle
Core language - language that describes the computational
attributes of the domain relevant to the system state
Task language - language that describes the psychological
attributes of the domain relevant to the user state
Example
• One task within the graphic design

domain is the construction of a specific
geometric shape with particular
attributes on the drawing surface. A
related goal would be to produce a solid
triangle centered on the canvas
Donald Norman’s model
goal
execution evaluation
system
execution/evaluation loop
goal
system
• user establishes the goal
• formulates intention
• specifies actions at interface
• executes action
• perceives system state
• interprets system state
• evaluates system state with respect to goal
goal
system
• executes action
goal
system
• executes action
goal
system
• executes action
The Norman’s Execution-Evaluation
cycle : Reasons Why Some Interfaces Cause
Problems to Users
• Gulf of Execution
– The difference between the user’s formulation of the
action to reach the goal and the actions allowed by the
system
– If the actions allowed by the system correspond to
those intended by the user, the interaction will be
effective
• Gulf of Evaluation
– The distance between the physical presentation of the
system state and the expectation of the user
– If the user can readily evaluate the presentation in
terms of his/her goal, the gulf of evaluation is small
• Interface design should aim to reduce the gulfs
The Norman’s Execution Evaluation
cycle : Human Error
slip
understand system and goal
correct formulation of action
incorrect action
mistake
may not even have right goal!
Fixing things?
slip – better interface design
mistake – better understanding of system
Limitations
• Concentrates only on the user’s view of

interaction
• Does not deal with the system’s
Communication through the interface
Interaction Framework:
Abowd and Beale framework
extension of Norman…
• More realistic description of interaction by
including the system explicitly, and
breaks it into four main components
– user
– input
– system
– output
• each has its own unique language
interaction  translation between
languages
Interaction framework
• Articulation Translation
• Articulation is the user's translation of their task
into the input language.
• Consider a user who wants to turn on the lights
at the far end of a room.
– Poor Articulation
• The user sees a bank of unlabelled switches. The
user has no idea which switch controls the lights
at the far end of the room.
• The problem here is that the language provided
(the unlabelled switches) does not allow the user
to articulate the goal (turn on the lights at the far
end of the room).
Cont…
– Good Articulation
• The switches are clearly labelled. The user
articulates their task of pressing the switch that is
labelled "the far end of the room".
• The language provided here (the labelled
switches) allows the user to articulate their task
without difficulty
Cont…
• Performance Translation
• Performance is the interface's translation of the
input language into stimuli to the system. This
translation is determined by the designer or
programmer (not the user).
– Poor Performance
• Consider a remote control for a television without
a button for turning off the television. The user
must go directly to the device and turn it off on
the control panel.
• Presentation Translation
• Presentation is the translation of the system's
new state into the output language of the
interface. This translation is determined by the
designer or programmer.
– Poor Presentation
• Consider writing an essay using a word processor. You need
to see the effects of your editing as a whole.
• However, the word processor only displays the immediate
paragraph without the surrounding text or other pages. The
surrounding text and other pages may have changed as well
during the editing. In effect, all of the state changes cannot
be displayed in the output language. You cannot readily
confirm the effect of your editing throughout the essay.
Using Abowd and Beale’s Model
• User Intensions
– Translated into actions at interface
– Translated into alteration of system state
– Reflected in the output display
– Interpreted by the user
• General Framework
ergonomics
physical aspects of interfaces

industrial interfaces
Ergonomics
• Study of the physical characteristics of

interaction
– how the controls are designed
– the physical environment in
which the interaction takes place
– and the layout and physical qualities of the screen
• Also known as human factors

Ergonomics - examples
• arrangement of controls and displays

e.g. controls grouped according to function or
frequency of use, or sequentially
• surrounding environment
e.g. seating arrangements adaptable to cope with all
sizes of user
• health issues
e.g. physical position, environmental conditions
(temperature, humidity), lighting, noise,
• use of colour
e.g. use of red for warning, green for okay,
awareness of colour-blindness etc.
Different layouts of controls
• Functional controls and displays

– organized so that those that are functionally
related are placed together
• Sequential controls and displays
– organized to reflect the order of their use in
a typical interaction
• Frequency controls and displays
– organized according to how frequently they
are used, with the most commonly used
controls being the most easily accessible.
Layout and arrangement of
controls
• the entire system interface must be arranged
appropriately in relation to the user’s position.
– So, for example, the user should be able to reach all controls
necessary and view all displays without excessive body
movement.
• Critical displays should be at eye level.
• Lighting should be arranged to avoid glare and
reflection distorting displays.
• Controls should be spaced to provide adequate room for
the user to manoeuvre.
Example
Industrial interfaces
Office interface vs. industrial interface?
Context matters!
office industrial
type of data textual numeric
rate of change slow fast
environment clean dirty
… the oil soaked mouse!

Glass interfaces ?
• industrial interface:
– traditional … dials and knobs
– now … screens and keypads
• glass interface
+ cheaper, more flexible, Vessel B Temp
multiple representations,
precise values 0 100 200
– not physically located,

loss of context, 113
complex interfaces
multiple representations
of same information
Indirect manipulation
• office– direct manipulation

– user interacts
with artificial world system
• industrial – indirect manipulation

– user interacts
with real world
through interface
interface plant
• issues ..
– feedback immediate
feedback
– delays
instruments
interaction styles
dialogue … computer and user
distinct styles of interaction

Common interaction styles
• command line interface

• menus
• natural language
• question/answer and query dialogue
• form-fills and spreadsheets
• WIMP
• point and click
• three–dimensional interfaces
Command line interface
• Way of expressing instructions to the

computer directly
– function keys, single characters, short abbreviations,
whole words, or a combination
• suitable for repetitive tasks

• better for expert users than novices
• offers direct access to system functionality
• command names/abbreviations should be
meaningful!
Typical example: the Unix system
Menus
• Set of options displayed on the screen

• Options visible
– less recall - easier to use
– rely on recognition so names should be meaningful
• Selection by:
– numbers, letters, arrow keys, mouse
– combination (e.g. mouse plus accelerators)
• Often options hierarchically grouped
– sensible grouping is needed
• Restricted form of full WIMP system
Natural language
• Familiar to user
• speech recognition or typed natural language
• Problems
– Vague and ambiguous
• The boy hit the dog with the stick
• The word ‘pitch’ may refer to a sports field, a
throw,a waterproofing substance
– hard to do well!
• Solutions
– try to understand a subset
– pick on key words
Query interfaces
• Question/answer interfaces
– user led through interaction via series of questions
– suitable for novice users but restricted functionality
– often used in information systems
• Query languages (e.g. SQL)

– used to retrieve information from database
– requires understanding of database structure and
language syntax, hence requires some expertise
Form-fills
• Primarily for data entry or data retrieval

• Screen like paper form.
• Data put in relevant place
• Requires
– good design
– obvious correction
facilities
Spreadsheets
• first spreadsheet VISICALC, followed by

Lotus 1-2-3
MS Excel most common today
• sophisticated variation of form-filling.
– grid of cells contain a value or a formula
– formula can involve values of other cells
e.g. sum of all cells in this column
– user can enter and alter data spreadsheet
maintains consistency
WIMP Interface
Windows
Icons
Menus
Pointers
… or windows, icons, mice, and pull-down menus!
• default style for majority of interactive

computer systems, especially PCs and desktop
machines
Point and click interfaces
• used in ..
– multimedia
– web browsers
– hypertext
• just click something!

– icons, text links or location on map
• minimal typing
Three dimensional interfaces
• virtual reality
– 3d interfaces for oculus rift
goggles
• 3D workspaces
– use for extra virtual space
– light and occlusion give depth flat buttons …
– distance effects
click me!
… or sculptured
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chapter 3

• We have studied about The Human, The

• There are number of ways in which the

Some terms of interaction

Domain – the area of work under study

• One task within the graphic design

• Concentrates only on the user’s view of

physical aspects of interfaces

• Study of the physical characteristics of

• Also known as human factors

• arrangement of controls and displays

• Functional controls and displays

Office interface vs. industrial interface?

… the oil soaked mouse!

– not physically located,

• office– direct manipulation

• industrial – indirect manipulation

dialogue … computer and user

distinct styles of interaction

• command line interface

• Way of expressing instructions to the

• suitable for repetitive tasks

• Set of options displayed on the screen

• Query languages (e.g. SQL)

• Primarily for data entry or data retrieval

• first spreadsheet VISICALC, followed by

• default style for majority of interactive

• just click something!

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