Designing Effective And Usable Multimedia Systems

Designing Effective and Usable Multimedia Systems presents research and development and industrial experience of usability engineering for multimedia user interfaces. The book discusses the methods, tools and guidelines for multimedia use and implementation and covers the following topics in detail: Design methods for multimedia (MM) systems; Social and cognitive models for MM interaction; Empirical studies of the effects of MM on learning and behavior; Design and prototyping support tools; Intelligent MM Systems and Design support; Usability evaluation. £/LIST£ Designing Effective and Usable Multimedia Systems contains the proceedings of the International Working Conference on Designing Effective and usable Multimedia Systems, sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), held in Stuttgart, Germany, in September 1998. It is essential reading for computer scientists, software developers, information systems managers and human scientists, especially those working in the applied disciplines such as human factors and interface design.

Developing usable, useful, and appealing solutions for the customer or user experience requires customization according to specific users' needs amidst frequently changing physical and social environments. Complex design problems like these require interdisciplinary perspectives that cover software functionality, human interaction and communication experiences, and perceived value. After defining and summarizing current research and development, this book focuses on Mobile TV experience in everyday life, innovative conceptual and participatory design methods, contextual analysis methods, social context for interactive multimedia systems, advanced interaction with mobile digital content, and future trends for the wide range of products and services that will be offered in the decade to come. The Editors have carefully balanced the theoretical and empirical approaches providing a valuable insight into principles and methods, as well as actionable guidelines and recommendations for all those interested in exploring how to achieve the core objectives of usability, usefulness, and social appeal of this new mobile-video technology. The book answers many questions, and raises some new ones that only future technology development and deployment in mobile human-computer interaction and communication can answer.

This book brings the reader to the frontier of multimedia applications.

Kim Halskov Madsen Up until a few decades ago, business administration and science were the primary areas in which computers were applied, but terms like pervasive computing reflect that interactive computing power is becoming an embedded part of people's every day environment, not only office buildings and private homes but also art and cul At one of the frontiers of multimedia applications computers are used as tural events. part of experimental theatre, puppet theatre, musical performances, museums, entertainment, and learning. In some of these domains, people interact with the computers using a mouse, keyboard and a 17-inch monitor, but present-day inter faces take a variety of forms, including motion-capture technology and displays of up to several metres in height and width. The trend of applying computer technologies in the domain of art and culture has been one of the pivots of a Danish research project, Staging of Virtual Inhabited 3D Spaces. The results of the project are presented in a series of four volumes, of which this book is the last one. The three other publications are: Virtual Interaction: Interaction in Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds; Virtual Space: The Spatiality of Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds; and 3D Applications: Applications with Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds.

The previous edition of the International Encyclopedia of Ergonomics and Human Factors made history as the first unified source of reliable information drawn from many realms of science and technology and created specifically with ergonomics professionals in mind. It was also a winner of the Best Reference Award 2002 from the Engineering Libraries Division, American Society of Engineering Education, USA, and the Outstanding Academic Title 2002 from Choice Magazine. Not content to rest on his laurels, human factors and ergonomics expert Professor Waldemar Karwowski has overhauled his standard-setting resource, incorporating coverage of tried and true methods, fundamental principles, and major paradigm shifts in philosophy, thought, and design. Demonstrating the truly interdisciplinary nature of this field, these changes make the second edition even more comprehensive, more informative, more, in a word, encyclopedic. Keeping the format popularized by the first edition, the new edition has been completely revised and updated. Divided into 13 sections and organized alphabetically within each section, the entries provide a clear and simple outline of the topics as well as precise and practical information. The book reviews applications, tools, and innovative concepts related to ergonomic research. Technical terms are defined (where possible) within entries as well as in a glossary. Students and professionals will find this format invaluable, whether they have ergonomics, engineering, computing, or psychology backgrounds. Experts and researchers will also find it an excellent source of information on areas beyond the range of their direct interests.

Multimedia technology has the potential to transform end user computing from interactive text and graphics models into something more compatible with the digital and electronic world of the new century. This book aims to help technology professionals gain an understanding and perspective on areas related to multimedia computing and communication, while addressing the major issues and challenges in the design and management of multimedia information systems.