Soon many people will retrieve information from the Web using handheld, palmsized or even smaller... more Soon many people will retrieve information from the Web using handheld, palmsized or even smaller computers. Although these computers have dramatically increased in sophistication, their display size is -and will remain -much smaller than their conventional, desktop counterparts. Currently, browsers for these devices present Web pages without taking account of the very different display capabilities. As part of a collaborative project with Reuters, we carried out a study into the usability impact of small displays for retrieval tasks. Users of the small screen were 50% less effective in completing tasks than the large screen subjects. Small screen users used a very substantial number of scroll activities in attempting to complete the tasks. Our study also provided us with interesting insights into the shifts in approach users seem to make when using a small screen device for retrieval. These results suggest that the metaphors useful in a full screen desktop environment are not the most appropriate for the new devices. Design guidelines are discussed, here, proposing directed access methods for effective small screen interaction. In our ongoing work, we are developing such 'meta-interfaces' which will sit between the small screen user and the 'conventional' Web page.
Mobile internet technologies, such as WAP, are important for pervasive, anytime, anywhere computi... more Mobile internet technologies, such as WAP, are important for pervasive, anytime, anywhere computing. Although much progress has been made in terms of technological innovation, many of mobile internet systems are difficult to use, lack flexibility and robustness. They give a poor user experience.
Mobile Interaction Design shifts the design perspective away from the technology and concentrates... more Mobile Interaction Design shifts the design perspective away from the technology and concentrates on usability; in other words the book concentrates on developing interfaces and devices with a great deal of sensitivity to human needs, desires and capabilities. Presents key interaction design ideas and successes in an accessible, relevant way Exercises, case studies and study questions make this book ideal for students. Provides ideals and techniques which will enable designers to create the next generation of ...
Navigation within two-dimensional information spaces such as documents, images and spreadsheets i... more Navigation within two-dimensional information spaces such as documents, images and spreadsheets is commonly supported by a combination of discrete scrolling, panning and zooming facilities. However, the number of navigational actions increases as the proportion of the space that is visible on a display decreases. The problem of increased navigational effort is exacerbated when using small screen display devices, which can display only small portions of the original space. An alternative navigation technique-speed-dependent automatic zooming-has been proposed for standard desktop displays. It replaces normative facilities by combining zooming and panning of the information space into a single operation, with the magnitude of both factors dependent on simple user interaction. In this paper we propose algorithmic extensions to this technique for application on small-screen devices, and describe an implementation that runs efficiently on a range of computing devices without the need for special hardware or software. We conducted a comparative experimental evaluation of user performance with the system and a normative interface. We found that XXX.
Proceedings of the 2003 annual research …, Jan 1, 2003
Whether you are interested in improving the usability of Linux, Macintosh or Windows, there is on... more Whether you are interested in improving the usability of Linux, Macintosh or Windows, there is one restriction you cannot escape -the hierarchical file storage system. The notion of files and folders has been with us for so long that it almost seems axiomatic. In this paper we look at the effects on users of forcing a hierarchical classification of files. We also consider how some of the resultant problems can be tackled with a new piece of file browsing software based on the ideas of relational database systems.
In recent years, the use of small screen devices has multiplied rapidly. This paper covers a numb... more In recent years, the use of small screen devices has multiplied rapidly. This paper covers a number of different issues which arise when digital libraries are used in combination with such displays. Known limitations of small screens are presented to the Digital Library community. Two evaluations of pilot small-screen DL systems are presented, with some unexpected cultural and socio-technical concerns which arose. The pilot systems also demonstrate the delivery of small-screen access using an existing popular DL system.
When creating virtual reality environments a large amount of the interaction needs to be programm... more When creating virtual reality environments a large amount of the interaction needs to be programmed. The problem with this is that non-computer expert users lack the programming skills necessary to create useful applications. Specifying interactions remains in the domain of the programmer. Creating a single, generic authoring tool for every different kind of application would be an impossible task -more so if the authors are non-programmers. A more realistic solution to the problem would be to think of every environment as having a particular context such as a virtual museum or gallery. Creating authoring tools specific to these types of environment contexts greatly reduces the problem. We have produced a progressive meta-authoring system that allows both novice and advanced users to create useful virtual reality applications, allowing the smooth migration of novice users to becoming more experienced. We believe that our system overcomes problems in architecture and support for novice users found in previous systems.
Ubiquitous computing is about more than having multiple computers in our environment; it is also ... more Ubiquitous computing is about more than having multiple computers in our environment; it is also about computers venturing into completely new environments. In this paper, we examine the impact of computers in the developing world and look at why most interventions to date have failed to address the key needs of the users and their context. Through an analysis of existing software design techniques, and various case studies, we propose a new model for software creation, which we believe will address the issue of creating technologies for developing world nations.
This paper looks at the possibilities of taking existing digital library technology and using it ... more This paper looks at the possibilities of taking existing digital library technology and using it for educating those who do not normally have access to the Internet. Our solution is based on cellular telephone technology and we investigate the feasibility of a system for accessing the Greenstone digital library using WAP handsets.
Following a social semiotic approach, this paper questions the Western cultural assumptions under... more Following a social semiotic approach, this paper questions the Western cultural assumptions underpinning the web's evolving navigational conventions, and investigates to what extent a group of South African students command the currently dominant Western conventions. South African students (both novices and experienced web users) completed a series of visual exercises, where they interpreted a set of interface and conceptual conventions in common use on the web. Conceptual questions attempted to address to what extent students were familiar with and able to reproduce the conventional Western visual design resources for representing classificational taxonomies or 'tree structures' and various other visual devices for the implicit portrayal of hierarchical information structures . Interface questions probed student recognition of common web icons. Some broadly cultural factors were found to explain at least some of the variation in the group. Finally, we consider the implications of our study for training, design, and the diverse range of South African representational resources.
In this paper we evaluate techniques for browsing photographs on small displays. We present two n... more In this paper we evaluate techniques for browsing photographs on small displays. We present two new interaction techniques that replace conventional scrolling and zooming controls. Via a single user action, scrolling and zooming are inter-dependently controlled with AutoZoom and independently controlled with GestureZoom. Both techniques were evaluated in a large-scale, 72-subject usability experiment alongside a conventional thumbnail grid image browser. Performance with the new techniques was at least as good as that with the standard thumbnail grid, even though none of the subjects had prior experience with such systems. In a number of cases -such as finding small groups of photos or when seeking for images containing small details -the new techniques were significantly faster than the conventional approach. In addition, AutoZoom and GestureZoom supported significantly more accurate identification of subsets of photographs. Subjects also reported lower levels of physical and cognitive effort and frustration with the new techniques in comparison to the thumbnail grid browser.
In this paper we describe a novel interaction technique that allows users to access and share ric... more In this paper we describe a novel interaction technique that allows users to access and share rich multi-media content via a large, situated public display and their own Bluetooth enabled camera phone. The proposed system differs from other solutions in that it does not require any client software to be installed on the user's device. We believe that our solution provides a practical and holistic approach for device-based interactions with public multi-media information systems.
Although online, handheld, mobile computers offer new possibilities in searching and retrieving i... more Although online, handheld, mobile computers offer new possibilities in searching and retrieving information on-the-go, the fast-paced, "sit-forward" style of interaction may not be appropriate for all user search needs. In this paper, we explore how a handheld computer can be used to enable interactive search experiences that vary in pace from fast and immediate through to reflective and delayed. We describe a system that asynchronously combines an offline handheld computer and an online desktop Personal Computer, and discuss some results of an initial user evaluation.
This paper examines the way in which one can best design digital technology for the developing wo... more This paper examines the way in which one can best design digital technology for the developing world. We start out by examining technology-driven design, such as is used in developed 'western' economies, where new technologies are created at an ever increasing pace. From there we look at sustainable design, wherein we work with the existing infrastructure and create solutions for that infrastructure without having to introduce new technology. Finally, we examine what we term 'empowered design' whereby technology is created that can be modified and adapted by the end user. It is this final paradigm that we see as being the solution for the creation of appropriate ICTs in developing countries.
… Human computer interaction with mobile …, Jan 1, 2007
The paper reports a mobile application that allows users to share photos with other co-present us... more The paper reports a mobile application that allows users to share photos with other co-present users by synchronizing the display on multiple mobile devices. Various floor control policies (software locks that determine when someone can control the displays) were implemented. The behaviour of groups of users was studied to determine how people would use this application for sharing photos and how various floor control policies affect this behaviour. Explicit policies was shown to be the best strategy for structured presentations, but when all locks were removed, the users created a new form of social interaction which seemed to be a more compelling use of the technology than the original, intended, application.
This paper will describe a novel interaction technique that allows mobile phone users to create a... more This paper will describe a novel interaction technique that allows mobile phone users to create and share contextualised media packages between their personal, BlueTooth enabled camera phones, and situated public displays. Unlike other solutions to this problem, the one presented in this paper does not require any specialist software or hardware on the user's handset. We believe this technique has the potential to revolutionise how people donate and retrieve digital media files without incurring any direct cost.
We reflect on activities to design a mobile application to enable rural people in South Africa's ... more We reflect on activities to design a mobile application to enable rural people in South Africa's Eastern Cape to record and share their stories, which have implications for 'cross-cultural design,' and the wider use of stories in design. We based our initial concept for generating stories with audio and photos on cell-phones on a scenario informed by abstracting from digital storytelling projects globally and our personal experience. But insights from ethnography, and technology experiments involving storytelling, in a rural village led us to query our grounding assumptions and usability criteria. So, we implemented a method using cell-phones to localise storytelling, involve rural users and probe ways to incorporate visual and audio media. Products from this method helped us to generate design ideas for our current prototype which offers great flexibility. Thus we present a new way to depict stories digitally and a process for improving such software.
In this paper, we conduct a thorough investigation of how people search their photo collections f... more In this paper, we conduct a thorough investigation of how people search their photo collections for events (a set of photographs relating to a particular well defined event), singles (individual photographs) and properties (a set of photographs with a common theme) on PDAs. We describe a prototype system that allows us to expose many issues that must be considered when designing photo searching interfaces. We discuss each of these issues and make recommendations where applicable. Our major observation is that several different methods are used to locate photographs. In light of this, we conclude by discussing how photo searching interfaces might embody or support such an approach.
Embedded interactive computer systems, such as those found in cellular handsets, can be hard to u... more Embedded interactive computer systems, such as those found in cellular handsets, can be hard to use. The combination of small form factor -limited input and output potential -and an increasing feature set, result in devices which confuse novice users. Although most of these devices utilise hierarchical menu structures to mediate the interaction between user and device, we believe that these menus are poorly designed and that other interaction styles may be more appropriate. In this paper we will investigate how well menu design research has been used by current handset manufacturers. We will also propose and report on the success of some new interface designs and finally examine how new Internet technologies, like WML, might be used to further improve the handset's interface.
Soon many people will retrieve information from the Web using handheld, palmsized or even smaller... more Soon many people will retrieve information from the Web using handheld, palmsized or even smaller computers. Although these computers have dramatically increased in sophistication, their display size is -and will remain -much smaller than their conventional, desktop counterparts. Currently, browsers for these devices present Web pages without taking account of the very different display capabilities. As part of a collaborative project with Reuters, we carried out a study into the usability impact of small displays for retrieval tasks. Users of the small screen were 50% less effective in completing tasks than the large screen subjects. Small screen users used a very substantial number of scroll activities in attempting to complete the tasks. Our study also provided us with interesting insights into the shifts in approach users seem to make when using a small screen device for retrieval. These results suggest that the metaphors useful in a full screen desktop environment are not the most appropriate for the new devices. Design guidelines are discussed, here, proposing directed access methods for effective small screen interaction. In our ongoing work, we are developing such 'meta-interfaces' which will sit between the small screen user and the 'conventional' Web page.
Mobile internet technologies, such as WAP, are important for pervasive, anytime, anywhere computi... more Mobile internet technologies, such as WAP, are important for pervasive, anytime, anywhere computing. Although much progress has been made in terms of technological innovation, many of mobile internet systems are difficult to use, lack flexibility and robustness. They give a poor user experience.
Mobile Interaction Design shifts the design perspective away from the technology and concentrates... more Mobile Interaction Design shifts the design perspective away from the technology and concentrates on usability; in other words the book concentrates on developing interfaces and devices with a great deal of sensitivity to human needs, desires and capabilities. Presents key interaction design ideas and successes in an accessible, relevant way Exercises, case studies and study questions make this book ideal for students. Provides ideals and techniques which will enable designers to create the next generation of ...
Navigation within two-dimensional information spaces such as documents, images and spreadsheets i... more Navigation within two-dimensional information spaces such as documents, images and spreadsheets is commonly supported by a combination of discrete scrolling, panning and zooming facilities. However, the number of navigational actions increases as the proportion of the space that is visible on a display decreases. The problem of increased navigational effort is exacerbated when using small screen display devices, which can display only small portions of the original space. An alternative navigation technique-speed-dependent automatic zooming-has been proposed for standard desktop displays. It replaces normative facilities by combining zooming and panning of the information space into a single operation, with the magnitude of both factors dependent on simple user interaction. In this paper we propose algorithmic extensions to this technique for application on small-screen devices, and describe an implementation that runs efficiently on a range of computing devices without the need for special hardware or software. We conducted a comparative experimental evaluation of user performance with the system and a normative interface. We found that XXX.
Proceedings of the 2003 annual research …, Jan 1, 2003
Whether you are interested in improving the usability of Linux, Macintosh or Windows, there is on... more Whether you are interested in improving the usability of Linux, Macintosh or Windows, there is one restriction you cannot escape -the hierarchical file storage system. The notion of files and folders has been with us for so long that it almost seems axiomatic. In this paper we look at the effects on users of forcing a hierarchical classification of files. We also consider how some of the resultant problems can be tackled with a new piece of file browsing software based on the ideas of relational database systems.
In recent years, the use of small screen devices has multiplied rapidly. This paper covers a numb... more In recent years, the use of small screen devices has multiplied rapidly. This paper covers a number of different issues which arise when digital libraries are used in combination with such displays. Known limitations of small screens are presented to the Digital Library community. Two evaluations of pilot small-screen DL systems are presented, with some unexpected cultural and socio-technical concerns which arose. The pilot systems also demonstrate the delivery of small-screen access using an existing popular DL system.
When creating virtual reality environments a large amount of the interaction needs to be programm... more When creating virtual reality environments a large amount of the interaction needs to be programmed. The problem with this is that non-computer expert users lack the programming skills necessary to create useful applications. Specifying interactions remains in the domain of the programmer. Creating a single, generic authoring tool for every different kind of application would be an impossible task -more so if the authors are non-programmers. A more realistic solution to the problem would be to think of every environment as having a particular context such as a virtual museum or gallery. Creating authoring tools specific to these types of environment contexts greatly reduces the problem. We have produced a progressive meta-authoring system that allows both novice and advanced users to create useful virtual reality applications, allowing the smooth migration of novice users to becoming more experienced. We believe that our system overcomes problems in architecture and support for novice users found in previous systems.
Ubiquitous computing is about more than having multiple computers in our environment; it is also ... more Ubiquitous computing is about more than having multiple computers in our environment; it is also about computers venturing into completely new environments. In this paper, we examine the impact of computers in the developing world and look at why most interventions to date have failed to address the key needs of the users and their context. Through an analysis of existing software design techniques, and various case studies, we propose a new model for software creation, which we believe will address the issue of creating technologies for developing world nations.
This paper looks at the possibilities of taking existing digital library technology and using it ... more This paper looks at the possibilities of taking existing digital library technology and using it for educating those who do not normally have access to the Internet. Our solution is based on cellular telephone technology and we investigate the feasibility of a system for accessing the Greenstone digital library using WAP handsets.
Following a social semiotic approach, this paper questions the Western cultural assumptions under... more Following a social semiotic approach, this paper questions the Western cultural assumptions underpinning the web's evolving navigational conventions, and investigates to what extent a group of South African students command the currently dominant Western conventions. South African students (both novices and experienced web users) completed a series of visual exercises, where they interpreted a set of interface and conceptual conventions in common use on the web. Conceptual questions attempted to address to what extent students were familiar with and able to reproduce the conventional Western visual design resources for representing classificational taxonomies or 'tree structures' and various other visual devices for the implicit portrayal of hierarchical information structures . Interface questions probed student recognition of common web icons. Some broadly cultural factors were found to explain at least some of the variation in the group. Finally, we consider the implications of our study for training, design, and the diverse range of South African representational resources.
In this paper we evaluate techniques for browsing photographs on small displays. We present two n... more In this paper we evaluate techniques for browsing photographs on small displays. We present two new interaction techniques that replace conventional scrolling and zooming controls. Via a single user action, scrolling and zooming are inter-dependently controlled with AutoZoom and independently controlled with GestureZoom. Both techniques were evaluated in a large-scale, 72-subject usability experiment alongside a conventional thumbnail grid image browser. Performance with the new techniques was at least as good as that with the standard thumbnail grid, even though none of the subjects had prior experience with such systems. In a number of cases -such as finding small groups of photos or when seeking for images containing small details -the new techniques were significantly faster than the conventional approach. In addition, AutoZoom and GestureZoom supported significantly more accurate identification of subsets of photographs. Subjects also reported lower levels of physical and cognitive effort and frustration with the new techniques in comparison to the thumbnail grid browser.
In this paper we describe a novel interaction technique that allows users to access and share ric... more In this paper we describe a novel interaction technique that allows users to access and share rich multi-media content via a large, situated public display and their own Bluetooth enabled camera phone. The proposed system differs from other solutions in that it does not require any client software to be installed on the user's device. We believe that our solution provides a practical and holistic approach for device-based interactions with public multi-media information systems.
Although online, handheld, mobile computers offer new possibilities in searching and retrieving i... more Although online, handheld, mobile computers offer new possibilities in searching and retrieving information on-the-go, the fast-paced, "sit-forward" style of interaction may not be appropriate for all user search needs. In this paper, we explore how a handheld computer can be used to enable interactive search experiences that vary in pace from fast and immediate through to reflective and delayed. We describe a system that asynchronously combines an offline handheld computer and an online desktop Personal Computer, and discuss some results of an initial user evaluation.
This paper examines the way in which one can best design digital technology for the developing wo... more This paper examines the way in which one can best design digital technology for the developing world. We start out by examining technology-driven design, such as is used in developed 'western' economies, where new technologies are created at an ever increasing pace. From there we look at sustainable design, wherein we work with the existing infrastructure and create solutions for that infrastructure without having to introduce new technology. Finally, we examine what we term 'empowered design' whereby technology is created that can be modified and adapted by the end user. It is this final paradigm that we see as being the solution for the creation of appropriate ICTs in developing countries.
… Human computer interaction with mobile …, Jan 1, 2007
The paper reports a mobile application that allows users to share photos with other co-present us... more The paper reports a mobile application that allows users to share photos with other co-present users by synchronizing the display on multiple mobile devices. Various floor control policies (software locks that determine when someone can control the displays) were implemented. The behaviour of groups of users was studied to determine how people would use this application for sharing photos and how various floor control policies affect this behaviour. Explicit policies was shown to be the best strategy for structured presentations, but when all locks were removed, the users created a new form of social interaction which seemed to be a more compelling use of the technology than the original, intended, application.
This paper will describe a novel interaction technique that allows mobile phone users to create a... more This paper will describe a novel interaction technique that allows mobile phone users to create and share contextualised media packages between their personal, BlueTooth enabled camera phones, and situated public displays. Unlike other solutions to this problem, the one presented in this paper does not require any specialist software or hardware on the user's handset. We believe this technique has the potential to revolutionise how people donate and retrieve digital media files without incurring any direct cost.
We reflect on activities to design a mobile application to enable rural people in South Africa's ... more We reflect on activities to design a mobile application to enable rural people in South Africa's Eastern Cape to record and share their stories, which have implications for 'cross-cultural design,' and the wider use of stories in design. We based our initial concept for generating stories with audio and photos on cell-phones on a scenario informed by abstracting from digital storytelling projects globally and our personal experience. But insights from ethnography, and technology experiments involving storytelling, in a rural village led us to query our grounding assumptions and usability criteria. So, we implemented a method using cell-phones to localise storytelling, involve rural users and probe ways to incorporate visual and audio media. Products from this method helped us to generate design ideas for our current prototype which offers great flexibility. Thus we present a new way to depict stories digitally and a process for improving such software.
In this paper, we conduct a thorough investigation of how people search their photo collections f... more In this paper, we conduct a thorough investigation of how people search their photo collections for events (a set of photographs relating to a particular well defined event), singles (individual photographs) and properties (a set of photographs with a common theme) on PDAs. We describe a prototype system that allows us to expose many issues that must be considered when designing photo searching interfaces. We discuss each of these issues and make recommendations where applicable. Our major observation is that several different methods are used to locate photographs. In light of this, we conclude by discussing how photo searching interfaces might embody or support such an approach.
Embedded interactive computer systems, such as those found in cellular handsets, can be hard to u... more Embedded interactive computer systems, such as those found in cellular handsets, can be hard to use. The combination of small form factor -limited input and output potential -and an increasing feature set, result in devices which confuse novice users. Although most of these devices utilise hierarchical menu structures to mediate the interaction between user and device, we believe that these menus are poorly designed and that other interaction styles may be more appropriate. In this paper we will investigate how well menu design research has been used by current handset manufacturers. We will also propose and report on the success of some new interface designs and finally examine how new Internet technologies, like WML, might be used to further improve the handset's interface.
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Papers by Gary Marsden