ppolson@clipr.colorado.edu (11/22/90)
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