INTERACTING WITH FUTURE COMPUTERS
Date
1986-02-01
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Abstract
Many problems that have to be solved in present day human-computer
interfaces arise from technology limitations, quite apart from those
arising from lack of appropriate knowledge. Some of the progress we
see in the most recently developed interfaces has occurred simply
because bit-mapped screens, large memories, colour, compute-power
appropriate to local intelligence, and the like, have all become
inexpensive at the same time as rising human costs have finally been
appreciated, and deprecated, by those who pay the bills. The new
technical possibilities, and the now obvious economic advantages of
providing good interactive computer support to enhance human productivity in
all areas of endeavour has created tremendous pressure to improve the
human-computer interface. This pressure, in turn, has dramatically
highlighted our lack of fundamental knowledge and methodologies
concerning interactive systems design, human problem solving, interaction
techniques, dialogue prototyping and
management, and system evaluation. The design of human computer
interfaces is still more of an art than a science. Furthermore, the
knowledge and methodologies that do exist often turn out to fall short
of what is needed to match computer methods or to serve as a basis
for detailed algorithm design.
The paper addresses a mixed audience in reviewing the background and
current state of human-computer interaction, in touching on the social and
ethical responsibility of the designer, and in picking out some of the
central ideas that seem likely to shape the development of interaction and
interface design in future computer systems. It suggests areas in which
advances in fundamental knowledge and in our understanding of how to
apply that knowledge seem to be needed to support interaction in
future computer systems. Such systems are seen as having their roots in
the visionary work of Sutherland (1963), Englebart (1968), Kay (1969),
Winograd (1970), Hansen (1971), Papert (1973), Foley and Wallace (1974),
and D.C. Smith (1975). Their emphasis on natural dialogue, ease of use
for the task, creativity, problem solving, appropriate division of labour
and powerful machine help available in the user's terms will still be
crucial in the future. However, the ability to form, communicate,
manipulate and use models effectively will come to dominate interaction
with future computer systems as the focus of interactive systems shifts to
knowledge-based performance. Human-computer interaction must be regarded
as the amplification of an individual's intellectual productivity by
graceful determination and satisfaction of every need that is amenable to
algorithmic solution, without any disturbance of the overall problem
solving process.
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Keywords
Computer Science