ppolson@clipr.colorado.edu (12/25/90)
Workshop Announcement Human-Computer Interface Design: Success Cases, Emerging Methods, and Real-World Context Boulder, Colorado on July 24 - 26, 1991 Deadline for Applications to Participate: Jan. 7, 1991 This workshop will seek to answer the question, "How can we improve human-computer interface design methods to bring about more successful designs?" We will begin by examining the design techniques employed for successful interfaces of the past, (e.g., Star). We then will look at a variety of emerging interface design methods, such as the use of rapid prototyping and analytical models. Finally, we will consider the pragmatic question of how successful design methods can be integrated into complex design organizations. In this final section, the space exploration program will be used as an example of large organizations designing interfaces to complex computer systems. The workshop is being organized by the Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the Human- Computer Interaction Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center. It will be held in Boulder, Colorado on July 24 - 26, 1991. The workshop will be attended by three groups -- interface designers; managers involved at several levels of interface design, development, and delivery; and HCI researchers. The workshop format will involve presentations of invited papers, as well as structured discussion of how existing and new interface design methods can meet the constraints of design organizations. The proceedings will be published in an edited book. Organization, schedule and format Presenters will prepare written drafts of their presentations and these will be reviewed by the organizers. All presentations at the workshop will therefore have the benefit of specific advance preparation and feedback to ensure that they present concrete design case studies and that methodological lessons for the audience are appropriately developed. Revisions of the presentations will be distributed to all attendees before the workshop. At the workshop, each presentation will be followed by discussion by the other participants and the audience, managed by one of the organizers. Where possible, the systems described in the presentations will be made available for hands-on exploration and evaluation by attendees. Following the workshop, presenters will prepare final versions of their presentations for book publication, and the organizers will prepare discussion material for inclusion in the book. The following outline is presented to provide some examples of the kinds of topics we envision for the workshop. The actual set of topics will depend on the response to this solicitation. We use the term RinterfaceS in a broad sense in the outline: we welcome submissions dealing with any facet of human-computer interaction, including documentation and training. Session 1 - Success Cases in Interface Design Spreadsheets Xerox Star Use of Rapid Prototyping & Iterative Empirical Testing Session 2 - Emerging Methods in Interface Design Analytical Models Knowledge Elicitation Techniques Automated Tools for Interface Design Recording Design Rationale Claims Extraction Theory-Based Design Walkthroughs Session 3 - The Pragmatic Context of Interface Design and Development: Studies of Design Practice. What is the current state of interface design practice in particular domains (e.g. the aerospace industry); and what aspects of this practice need to change? What are the relative costs (in time, expertise, etc.) and benefits of the approaches discussed above? How do these costs and benefits fit in with organizational concerns about budgets, schedules, etc.? What levels of management influence interface design? What is each level's role in delivering an interface? How do groups of designers communicate? What role do users play in interface design? How do new interface design methods and models become incorporated into the design process? Participation Participation will be by invitation only. Persons wishing to participate can apply in two ways. Those wishing to present a paper and contribute to the book should submit an abstract, no more than three pages in length, for a presentation to be included in one of the sessions, as described below. Those wishing to attend the workshop but not present should submit a one-page statement of interest and background. We expect to invite fifteen presenters and fifty attendees. If you submit an abstract you do not have to submit a statement of interest and background; if the abstract is not accepted for presentation we will consider it when selecting attendees. We will pay airfare up to $800, living expenses, and a small honorarium for presenters. Abstracts and statements of interest are due January 7, 1991. Invitations will be issued on February 1, 1991. Drafts of papers are due July 1, 1991, and final drafts of book chapters are due October 1, 1991. Criteria for participation in the three sessions are as follows. Success Cases in Interface Design. Presentations in this session must describe methods for designing and developing user interfaces for which there is convincing evidence of success. The methods may or may not have a theoretical basis or rationale, but must be sufficiently coherent that other workers might reasonably hope to apply them. Evidence of success might include commercial sales, realistic test data, clear statements of user satisfaction, or other information that would be accepted by a prudent judge as indicating that the method actually worked. Note that success of a design on which a method was used is not sufficient evidence in itself; there must be a persuasive argument that the method actually contributed to the success. Emerging Methods in Interface Design. Presentations in this session must describe new methods for designing and developing user interfaces. It is not required that these methods be proven successes, like those to be discussed in the first session. But there must be a persuasive argument that the method has the potential to improve significantly user interface design and development. Since the intent is to focus on new ideas, methods must not already be in common use outside research laboratories. The Pragmatic Context of Interface Design and Development. Presentations in this session must discuss how work in user interface design and development accommodates or fails to accommodate real-world organizational, commercial , or practical requirements, and how this accommodation could be improved. Presentations must be grounded in actual project experience or studies of such projects. Presenters need not be usability workers; in addition we solicit presentations from product managers or others who have experience integrating user interface development into larger projects. We will accept participants for each session by considering the extent to which the abstracts address these conditions for participation. It is therefore essential that each submission indicate clearly for which session it should be considered, and that the abstract say clearly how the requirements are met. For example, abstracts to be considered for the success cases session must indicate the evidence of success for the method. In addition to considering your own participation, we hope you will help us solicit submissions from other people who could contribute to one or other of these sessions. We would especially appreciate your passing this announcement along to anyone who could contribute to the session on pragmatic constraints, because our own contacts with suitable presenters are limited. If you prefer, please feel free to pass suggested names on to us. Send four copies of abstracts or statements of interest by January 7, 1991 to: Lee Gugerty Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Co. Mailcode C95 2400 NASA Road 1 Houston TX 77058 For more information contact any of the following: Lee Gugerty Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Co. Mailcode C95 2400 NASA Road 1 Houston TX 77058 (713) 333 7443 gugerty%9296.span@Sds.Sdsc.Edu Clayton Lewis Department of Computer Science Campus Box 430 University of Colorado Boulder CO 80309 (303) 492 6657 clayton@boulder.colorado.edu Peter Polson Department of Psychology Campus Box 345 University of Colorado Boulder CO 80309 (303) 492 5622 ppolson@clipr.colorado.edu Marianne Rudisill Johnson Space Center Mailcode SP34 Houston TX 77058 (713) 483 3706