Windows versus Whiteboards: Talking about Interfaces

Michael B Twidale

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Fri May 21 15:10:00 NZST 2004 in Room 031, MSCS

Abstract

Traditionally in HCI we think about designing an interface so that a (lone) user can interact (we might say 'talk') with the computer. Interface design then involves drawing pictures on the screen to make it easier for the user to manipulate and get information from abstractions - data types stored in the computer and manipulated by algorithms. We might consider in this case that the interface is a 'window' that allows us to look inside the computer at its data. What happens when we think of the interface less as a window and more as a whiteboard? That is, as a tool that we use *while talking to another person in the room*. How can we design interfaces so it is easier to talk *about them* and their use to another person, especially when things go wrong? How can we design interfaces that make it easier for one person to explain to another how to use them? How and why might we want to design systems and interfaces that are less attention grabbing?

I shall illustrate this talk by examples from a number of projects including 'over the shoulder learning'; examining workplace peer help in the use of computer applications, and supporting the usability of open source software by using an open source model for discussing confusions with current interfaces.