Browsing by Author "Shneiderman, B."
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Item Alpha Slider: Searching Textual Lists with Sliders(1993) Osada, M.; Liao, Holmes; Shneiderman, B.; ISRAlphaSlider is a query interface that uses a direct manipulation slider to select words, phrases, or names from an existing list. This paper introduces a prototype of AlphaSlider, describes the design issues, reports on an experimental evaluation, and offers directions for further research. The experiment tested 24 subjects selecting items from lists of 40, 80, 160, and 320 entries. Mean selection times only doubled with the 8-fold increase in list length. Users quickly accommodated to this selection method.Item The Alphaslider: A Compact and Rapid Selector(1993) Ahlberg, Christopher; Shneiderman, B.; ISRResearch has suggested that rapid, serial, visual presentation of text (RSVP) may be an effective way to scan and search through lists of text strings in search of words, names, etc. The Alphaslider widget employs RSVP as a method for rapidly scanning and searching lists or menus in a graphical user interface environment. The Alphaslider only uses an area less than 7 x 2.5 cm2. The tiny size of the Alphaslider allows it to be placed on a credit card, on a control panel for a VCR, or as a widget in a direct manipulation based database interface. an experiment was conducted with four Alphaslider designs which showed that novice Alphaslider users could locate one item in a list of 10,000 film titles in 24 seconds on average, an expert user in about 13 seconds.Item Broadening Access to Large Online Databases by Generalizing Query Previews(2000-05-13) Tanin, E.; Plaisant, C.; Shneiderman, B.Companies, government agencies, and other types of organizations are making their large databases available to the world over the Internet. Current database front-ends do not give users information about the distribution of data. This leads many users to waste time and network resources posing queries that have either zero-hit or mega-hit result sets. Query previews form a novel visual approach for browsing large databases. Query previews supply data distribution information about the database that is being searched and give continuous feedback about the size of the result set for the query as it is being formed. On the other hand, query previews use only a few pre-selected attributes of the database. The distribution information is displayed only on these attributes. Unfortunately, many databases are formed of numerous relations and attributes. This paper introduces a generalization of query previews. We allow users to browse all of the relations and attributes of a database using a hierarchical browser. Any of the attributes can be used to display the distribution information, making query previews applicable to many public online databases. (Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-2000-32) (Also cross-referenced as HCIL-TR-2000-14)Item Browsing Hierarchical Data with Multi-Level Dynamic Queries and Pruning(1995) Kumar, Harsha P.; Plaisant, C.; Shneiderman, B.; ISR; CSHCNUser often must browse hierarchies with thousands of nodes in search of those that best match their information needs. The PDQ Tree-browser (Pruning with Dynamic Queries) visualization tool was specified, designed and developed for this purpose. This tool presents trees in two tightly-coupled views, one a detailed view and the other an overview. Users can use dynamic queries, a method for rapidly filtering data, to filter nodes at each level of the tree. The dynamic query panels are user-customizable. Subtrees of unselected nodes are pruned out, leading to compact views of relevant nodes. Usability testing of the PDQ Tree- browser, done with 8 subjects, helped asses strengths and identify possible improvement. The PDQ Tree-browser was used in Network Management (600 nodes) and University Finder (1100 nodes) applications. A controlled experiment, with 24 subjects, showed that pruning significantly improved performance speed and subjective user satisfaction. Future research directions are suggested.Item The Design of History Mechanisms and Their Use in Collaborative Educational Simulations(1999) Plaisant, C.; Rose, A.; Rubloff, G.; Salter, R.; Shneiderman, B.; ISRReviewing past events has been useful in many domains. Videotapes and flight data recorders provide invaluable technological help to sports coaches or aviation engineers. Similarly, providing learners with a readable recording of their actions may help them monitor their behavior, reflect on their progress, and experiment with revisions of their experiences. It may also facilitate active collaboration among dispersed learning communities. Learning histories can help students and professionals make more effective use of digital library searching, word processing tasks, computer-assisted design tools, electronic performance support systems, and web navigation.This paper describes the design space and discusses the challenges of implementing learning histories. It presents guidelines for creating effective implementations, and the design tradeoffs between sparse and dense history records. The paper also presents a first implementation of learning histories for a simulation-based engineering learning environment called SimPLE (Simulated Processes in a Learning Environment) for the case of a semiconductor fabrication module, and reports on early user evaluation of learning histories implemented within SimPLE.
Item Designing Information-Abundant Websites(1996) Shneiderman, B.; ISRThe deluge of web pages has generated dystopian commentaries on the tragedy of the flood as well as utopian visions of harnessing the same flood for constructive purposes. Within this ocean of information there are also lifeboat web pages with design principles, but often the style parallels the early user interface writings in the 1970s. The well-intentioned Noahs who write from personal experience as website designers, often draw their wisdom from specific projects, making their advice incomplete or lacking in generalizability. Their experience is valuable but the paucity of empirical data to validate or sharpen insight means that some guidelines are misleading. As scientific evidence accumulates, foundational cognitive and perceptual theories will structure the discussion and guide designers in novel situations.Item Direct Annotation: A Drag-and-Drop Strategy for Labeling Photos(2000-04-29) Shneiderman, B.; Kang, H.Annotating photos is such a time-consuming, tedious and error-prone data entry task that it discourages most owners of personal photo libraries. By allowing users to drag labels such as personal names from a scrolling list and drop them on a photo, we believe we can make the task faster, easier and more appealing. Since the names are entered in a database, searching for all photos of a friend or family member is dramatically simplified. We describe the user interface design and the database schema to support direct annotation, as implemented in our PhotoFinder prototype. (HCIL-2000-06) (Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-2000-23)Item Dynamic Queries: A step Beyond Database Languages(1993) Shneiderman, B.; ISRThe capacity to incrementally adjust a query (with sliders, buttons, selections from a set of discrete attribute values, etc.) coupled with a visual display of results that are rapidly updated, dramatically changes the information seeking process. Dynamic queries on the chemical table of elements, computer directions, and a real estate database were built and tested in three separate exploratory experiments. Preliminary results show highly significant performance improvements and user enthusiasm more commonly seen with video games. Widespread application seems possible but research issues abound in the areas of: (1) graphic visualization design, (2) database and display algorithms, and (3) user interface requirements. Challenges include methods for rapidly displaying and changing many points, colors, and areas; multi-dimensional pointing and exploring using 6 degree of freedom input/output devices; incorporation of sound and visual display techniques that increase user comprehension; and integration with existing database systems.Item Elastic Windows: A Hierarchical Multi-Window World-Wide Web Browser(1997) Kandogan, Eser; Shneiderman, B.; ISRThe World-Wide Web (WWW) is becoming an invaluable source for the information needs of many users. However, current browsers are still primitive, in that they do no support many of the navigation needs of users, as indicated by user studies. They do not provide an overview and a sense of location in the information structure being browsed. Also they do not facilitate the organization and filtering of information nor aid users in accessing already visited pages without much cognitive demands. In this paper, a new browsing interface is proposed with multiple hierarchical windows and efficient multiple windows operations. It provides a flexible organization where users can quickly organize, filter, and restructure the information on the screen as they reformulate their goals. Overviews can give the user a sense of location in the browsing history as well as provide fast access to a hierarchy of pages.Item Elastic Windows: Evaluation of Multi-Window Operations(1997) Kandogan, Eser; Shneiderman, B.; ISRMost windowing systems follow the independent overlapping windows approach, which emerged as an answer to the needs of the 1980s' technology. Due to advances in computers and display technology, and increased information needs, modern users demand more functionality from window management systems. We proposed Elastic Windows with improved spatial layout and rapid multi- window operations as an alternative to current window management strategies for efficient personal role management [kandogan]. In this approach, multi-window operations are achieved by issuing operations on window groups hierarchically organized in a space- filing tiled layout. This paper describes the Elastic Windows interface briefly and then presents a study comparing user performance with Elastic Windows and traditional window management techniques for 2, 6, and 12 window situations. Elastic Windows users had statistically significantly faster performance for all 6 and 12 window situations, for task environment setup, task environment switching, and task execution. These results suggest promising possibilities for multiple window operations and hierarchical nesting, which can be applied to the next generation of tiled as well as overlapped window managers.Item Elastic Windows: Improved Spatial Layout and Rapid Multiple Window Operations(1995) Kandogan, Eser; Shneiderman, B.; ISRMost windowing systems follow the independent overlapping windows approach, which emerged as an answer to the needs of the 0s applications and technology. Advances in computers, display technology, and the applications demand more functionality from window management systems. Based on these changes and the problems of current windowing approaches, we have updated the requirements for multi-window systems to guide new methods of window management. We propose elastic windows with improved spatial layout and rapid multi-window operations. Multi-window operations are achieved by issuing operations on a hierarchically organized group of windows in a space-filling tiled layout. Sophisticated multi-window operations like Hook, Pump, Minimize, Restore, Move and Relocate have been developed to handle fast task-switching and to structure the work environment of users to their rapidly changing needs. We claim that these multi-window operations and the tiled layout decrease the cognitive load on users. Users found our prototype system to be comprehensible and enjoyable as they playfully explored the way multiple windows are reshaped.Item The Eyes Have It: A Task by Data Type Taxonomy for Information Visualizations(1996) Shneiderman, B.; ISRA useful starting point for designing advanced graphical user interfaces is the Visual Information-Seeking Mantra: Overview first, zoom and filter, then details-on-demand. But this is only a starting point in trying to understand the rich and varied set of information visualizations that have been proposed in recent years. This paper offers a task by data type taxonomy with seven data types (1-, 2-, 3- dimensional data, temporal and multi- dimensional data, and tree and network data) and seven tasks (overview, zoom, filter, details-on-demand, relate, history, and extract).Item Facilitating Network Data Exploration with Query Previews: A Study of User Performance and Preference(1998) Tanin, E.; Lotem, Amnon; Haddadin, Ihab; Shneiderman, B.; Plaisant, C.; Slaughter, L.; ISRCurrent network data exploration systems which use command languages (e.g. SQL) or form fill-in interfaces fail to give users an indication of the distribution of data items. This leads many users to waste time posing queries which have zero-hit or mega-hit result sets. Query previewing is a novel visual approach for browsing huge networked information warehouses. Query previews supply data distribution information about the database that is being searched and give continuous feedback about the size of the result set for the query as it is being formed. Our within-subjects empirical comparison studied 12 subjects using a form fill-in interface, with and without query previews. We found statistically significant differences showing that query previews sped up performance by 1.6 to 2.1 times and led to higher subjective satisfaction.Item A Family of User Interface Consistency Checking Tools(1995) Mahajan, Rohit; Shneiderman, B.; ISRIncorporating evaluation metrics with GUI development tools will help designers create consistent interfaces in the future. Complexity in design of interfaces makes efficient evaluation impossible by a single consistency checking evaluation tool. Our focus is on developing a family of evaluation tools in order to make the evaluation process less cumbersome. We have developed a dialog box typeface and color table to facilitate detection of anomalies in color, font, font size, and font style. Concordance tools have been developed to spot variant capitalization and abbreviations globally in the interface and specifically in the button widgets. As buttons are frequently used widgets, a button layout table has been created to spot any inconsistencies in height, width and relative position between a given group of buttons if present. Finally, a terminology basket tool has been created to identify unwanted synonyms of computer related terms used in the interface which may be misleading to the end user.Item The Future of Graphic User Interfaces: Personal Role Managers(1994) Shneiderman, B.; Plaisant, C.; ISRAbstract Personal computer users typically manage hundreds of directories and thousands of files with hierarchically structured file managers, plus archaic cluttered-desktop window managers, and iconic representations of applications. These users must deal with the annoying overhead of window housekeeping and the greater burden of mapping their organizational roles onto unnecessarily rigid hierarchy. An alternate approach is presented, Personal Role Manager (PRM), to structure the screen layout and the interface tools to better match the multiple roles that individuals have in an organization. Each role has a vision statement, schedule, hierarchy of tasks, set of people, and collection of documents.Item LifeLines: Visualizing Personal Histories(1995) Plaisant, C.; Milash, Brett; Rose, A.; Widoff, S.; Shneiderman, B.; ISRLifeLines provide a general visualization environment for personal histories that can be applied to medical and court records, professional histories and other types of biographical data. A one-screen overview shows multiple facets of the records. Aspects, for example medical conditions or legal cases, are displayed as individual time lines, while icons indicate discrete events, such as physician consultations or legal reviews. Line color and thickness illustrate relationships or significance, scaling tools and filters allow users to focus on part of the information. LifeLines reduce the chances of missing information, facilitate spotting anomalies and trends and streamline access to details, while remaining tailorable and easily sharable between applications. The paper describes the use of LifeLines for youth records of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice and also for medical records. User's feedback was collected using a Visual Basic Prototype for the youth record. Techniques to deal with complex records are reviewed and issues of a standard personal record format are discussed.Item MediaFinder: An Interface for Dynamic Personal Media Management with Semantic Regions(2003-02-27) Kang, H.; Shneiderman, B.No abstract submitted. UMIACS-TR-2003-15 HCIL-TR-2003-04Item Performance Benefits of Simultaneous over Sequential Menus as Task Complexity Increases(1999-12-21) Hochheiser, H.; Kositsyna, N.; Ville, G.; Shneiderman, B.To date, experimental comparisons of menu layouts have concentrated on variants of hierarchical structures of sequentially presented menus. Simultaneous menus - layouts which present multiple active menus on a screen at the same time - are an alternative arrangement that may be useful in many web design situations. This paper describes an experiment involving a between-subject comparison of simultaneous menu and their traditional sequential counterparts. Twenty experienced web users used either simultaneous or sequential menus in a standard web browser to answer questions based on US Census data. For novice users performing simple tasks the simplicity of sequential menus appears to be helpful, but for most tasks and most users there is good evidence to believe that simultaneous menus speed performance and improve satisfaction. Design improvements can amplify the benefits of simultaneous menu layouts. (Also cross-referenced asUMIACS-TR-99-60)Item Performance Benefits of Simultaneous over Sequential Menus as Task Complexity Increases(1999) Hochheiser, Harry; Kositsyna, Natalya; Ville, G.; Shneiderman, B.; ISRTo date, experimental comparisons of menu layouts have concentrated on variants of hierarchical structures of sequentially presented menus. Simultaneous menus - layouts which present multiple active menus on a screen at the same time - are an alternative arrangement that may be useful in many web design situations.This paper describes an experiment involving a between-subject comparison of simultaneous menu and their traditional sequential counterparts. Twenty experienced web users used either simultaneous or sequential menus in a standard web browser to answer questions based on US Census data. For novice users performing simple tasks the simplicity of sequential menus appears to be helpful, but for most tasks and most users there is good evidence to believe that simultaneous menus speed performance and improve satisfaction. Design improvements can amplify the benefits of simultaneous menu layouts.
Item A Photo History of SIGCHI: Evolution of Design from Personal to Public(2002-09-18) Shneiderman, B.; Kules, B.; Plaisant, C.; Rose, A.; Rucheir, R.For 20 years I have been photographing personalities and events in the emerging discipline of human- computer interaction. Until now, only a few of these photos were published in newsletters or were shown to visitors who sought them out. Now this photo history is going from a personal record to a public archive. This archive should be interesting for professional members of this community who want to reminisce, as well as for historians and journalists who want to understand what happened. Students and Web surfers may also want to look at the people who created better interfaces and more satisfying user experiences. (Also UMIACS-TR-2002-77) (Also HCI-TR-2002-14)