Building Interactive Systems

This innovative text focuses on the architectures, mathematics, and algorithms that are integral to creating reliable user interfaces. The first sixteen chapters cover the concepts required for current graphical user interfaces, including specific emphasis on the Model-View-Controller architecture. The second part of the book provides an overview of key research areas in interactive systems, with a focus on the algorithms required to implement these systems. Using clear descriptions, equations, and pseudocode, this text simplifies and demystifies the development and application of a variety of user interfaces

Architectures and tools are two important considerations in the construction of interactive computer systems. The former is concerned with the optimal structural organisation of systems and the latter with the effective support of the design and management of user interfaces. They are regarded as the areas of research most likely to contribute to the development of existing interactive systems, in particular by providing improved architectures capable of supporting new styles of interaction and more sophisticated software tools to improve productivity. This volume combines the proceedings of two workshops held in York and Glasgow which concentrated on architectures and tools respectively. In doing so it addresses the problems of user interface construction from two complementary viewpoints and provides alternative perspectives on many of the central issues. Some of the papers are published in expanded form to provide a more comprehensive coverage of the topics and two additional papers have been included which offer a useful insight into issues raised by the workshops. The papers address formal and theoretical concerns as well as academic and commercial ones. Specific topics covered include novel-input models, architectures for real-time systems and object-oriented user interface tools for X-widgets, NeWS- and Smalltalk-based applications. The papers also include presentations of new tools and architectural designs. Building Interactive Systems: Architectures and Tools provides the most extensive recent account of research into the relationship between architectures and tools in the construction of interactive computer systems and will be of interest to researchers, postgraduate students and software developers.

Architectures and tools are two important considerations in the construction of interactive computer systems. The former is concerned with the optimal structural organisation of systems and the latter with the effective support of the design and management of user interfaces. They are regarded as the areas of research most likely to contribute to the development of existing interactive systems, in particular by providing improved architectures capable of supporting new styles of interaction and more sophisticated software tools to improve productivity. This volume combines the proceedings of two workshops held in York and Glasgow which concentrated on architectures and tools respectively. In doing so it addresses the problems of user interface construction from two complementary viewpoints and provides alternative perspectives on many of the central issues. Some of the papers are published in expanded form to provide a more comprehensive coverage of the topics and two additional papers have been included which offer a useful insight into issues raised by the workshops. The papers address formal and theoretical concerns as well as academic and commercial ones. Specific topics covered include novel-input models, architectures for real-time systems and object-oriented user interface tools for X-widgets, NeWS- and Smalltalk-based applications. The papers also include presentations of new tools and architectural designs. Building Interactive Systems: Architectures and Tools provides the most extensive recent account of research into the relationship between architectures and tools in the construction of interactive computer systems and will be of interest to researchers, postgraduate students and software developers.

This innovative text focuses on the architectures, mathematics, and algorithms that are integral to creating reliable user interfaces. The first sixteen chapters cover the concepts required for current graphical user interfaces, including specific emphasis on the Model-View-Controller architecture. The second part of the book provides an overview of key research areas in interactive systems, with a focus on the algorithms required to implement these systems. Using clear descriptions, equations,and pseudocode, this text simplifies and demystifies the development and application of a variety of user interfaces. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

Conceptual Design for Interactive Systems: Designing for Performance and User Experience provides readers with a comprehensive guide to the steps necessary to take the leap from research and requirements to product design. The text presents a proven strategy for transforming research into a conceptual model, discussing the iterative process that allows users to build the essential foundation for a successful interactive system, while also taking the users’ mental model into consideration. Readers will gain a better understanding of the framework they need to perceive, understand, and experience their tasks and processes in the context of their products. The text is ideal for those seeking a proven, innovative strategy for meeting goals through intuitive and effective thinking. Provides a practical, guiding approach that can be immediately applied to everyday practice and study Complete analysis and explanation of conceptual modeling and its value Discusses the implications of effective and poor conceptual models Presents a step-by-step process, allowing users to build the essential foundation for a successful interactive system

A mathematical and logical foundation for the specification and development of interactive systems based on a model that describes systems in terms of their input/output behavior. Based on this model, the authors build a basic method, called FOCUS, that enables interactive systems to be described by characterizing their histories of message interaction. The book progresses from an introduction and guided tour of FOCUS through streams, specifications and their properties, and behavioral, interface, and conditional refinements.

Distinguishing between tangible user interfaces (TUI) and tangible interactive systems (TISs), this book takes into account not only the user interfaces but also looks at how interaction can be enabled by using digital information through the physical environment. TISs go far beyond the concept of tangible user interfaces, addressing large complex systems in the framework of human-centred design and putting the human at the center of the design process from the start. How can human-centered designers grasp the real world with computers? This question is explored by looking at concepts such as innovation, complexity, flexibility, maturity, stability, sustainability and art to see whether we can assess both physical and figurative tangibility during the design process before product delivery. Concepts like creativity, design thinking and team spirit are fundamental to TIS’s human-centered design, and are presented together with human-systems integration (HSI), agile development and formative evaluations to build a greater understanding of this new area of research. Tangible Interactive Systems would be an essential read to designers, academics and other professionals concerned with product design within HCI, industrial design, virtual engineering and other related areas.

Cognetics and the locus of attention - Meanings, modes, monotony, and myths - Quantification - Unification - Navigation and other aspects of humane interfaces - Interface issues outside the user interface.