Creating User Interfaces In C

A Methodology for Developing Multimodal User Interfaces of Information Systems

The Graphical User Interface (GUI), as the most prevailing type of User Interface (UI) in today's interactive applications, restricts the interaction with a computer to the visual modality and is therefore not suited for some users (e.g., with limited literacy or typing skills), in some circumstances (e.g., while moving around, with their hands or eyes busy) or when the environment is constrained (e.g., the keyboard and the mouse are not available). In order to go beyond the GUI constraints, the Multimodal (MM) UIs apear as paradigm that provide users with great expressive power, naturalness and flexibility. In this thesis we argue that developing MM UIs combining graphical and vocal modalities is an activity that could benefit from the application of a methodology which is composed of: a set of models, a method manipulating these models and the tools implementing the method. Therefore, we define a design space-based method that is supported by model-to-model colored transformations in order to obtain MM UIs of information systems. The design space is composed of explicitly defined design options that clarify the development process in a structured way in order to require less design effort. The feasability of the methodology is demonstrated through three case studies with different levels of complexity and coverage. In addition, an empirical study is conducted with end-users in order to measure the relative usability level provided by different design decisions.

Creating User Interfaces in C

User Interfaces for All

User Interfaces for All is the first book dedicated to the issues of Universal Design and Universal Access in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Universal Design (or Design for All) is an inclusive and proactive approach seeking to accommodate diversity in the users and usage contexts of interactive products, applications, and services, starting from the design phase of the development life cycle. The ongoing paradigm shift toward a knowledge-intensive information society is already bringing about radical changes in the way people work and interact with each other and with information. The requirement for Universal Design stems from the growing impact of the fusion of the emerging technologies, and from the different dimensions of diversity, which are intrinsic to the information society. This book unfolds the various aspects of this ongoing evolution from a variety of viewpoints. It's a collection of 30 chapters written by leading international authorities, affiliated with academic, research, and industrial organizations, and non-market institutions. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the field, and includes contributions from a variety of theoretical and applied disciplines and research themes. This book can also be used for teaching purposes in HCI courses at the undergraduate as well as graduate level. Students will be introduced to the human-, organizational-, and technology-oriented dimensions that call for a departure from traditional approaches to user interface development. Students will also get an overview of novel methods, techniques, tools, and frameworks for the design, implementation, and evaluation of user interfaces that are universally accessible and usable by the broadest possible end-user population. This comprehensive book is targeted to a broad readership, including HCI researchers, user interface designers, computer scientists, software engineers, ergonomists and usability engineers, Human Factors researchers and practitioners, organizational psychologists, system/product designers, sociologists, policy- and decision makers, scientists in government, industry and education, as well as assistive technology and rehabilitation experts.