Saffer- Interface Design, Chapt. 6

Saffer examines aspects of interface design- which he makes the note, works almost hand-to-glove with interaction design. The interface is there because users cannot manipulate (thus interact) the application in any other humanly possible way. Interface design has a primarily visual component, and he considers various pieces such as the layout, visual flow, typography and color. Then Saffer also lays out how the visual design can support interaction design through forms such as widgets, buttons, icons and so on.

The section I find particularly interesting is the speculation about new forms of interfaces that take embodied human input such as gestures and one’s very physical presence… Saffer calls this “Interfaces without Faces”, but I’d rather call it, “Interfaces with New Faces”.

Lee, Plass, Homer- Optimizing Cognitive Load in Simulations

Optimizing Cognitive Load for Learning From Computer-Based Science Simulations

Article by Lee, H., Plass, J.L., and Homer, B. D. (2006). Simulations are increasingly being used in science education because of their inherent capacity to portray dynamic information and complex concepts. However, because of the potentially high level of visual complexity in a simulation, associated issues of cognitive load should be taken into account. Cognitive theory of multimedia learning is applied here to primarily visual materials.

This study attempted to investigate how to “optimize cognitive load” by manipulating factors in the display that contribute to intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load.  What was manipulated:
Visual complexity & intrinsic load- by separating the display of the simulations into 2 screens (low complexity, low intrinsic load) or all on 1 screen (high complexity, high intrinsic load)
Mode of visual representations & extraneous cognitive load- manipulated through 3 points, over 2 scenarios:
Scenario 1—important info. in symbolic representations only (text labels, 3 control sliders grouped together, and chart with only most recent data point taken by student
Scenario 2—important info represented through icons, with 3 control sliders placed next to their respective objects of control, charts with all data points taken by students (iconic + symbolic modes)

Results:
That it is possible to reduce cognitive load by manipulating the intrinsic load on the semantic level and by manipulating the extraneous load on the surface level of the visual materials. Where these measures did not prove effective were when there was a higher level of prior knowledge.

Pierce, What is a Sign?

Pierce, “What is a Sign?”
Pierce analyzes the way we communicate meaning through language. And essentially, Pierce identifies the basic linguistic units of meaning as being what he calls, “signs. ” Signs operate by signifying their meaning, by conveying a reference to objects and ideas in the world.  And furthermore, there are three kinds of signs:

Icons- or visual likenesses, which signify through resemblance- e.g., pictograms (such as Egyptian hieroglyphics)
Indices- indications, which show something about things on account of physical proximity or connection, e.g. guideposts, weather vane, even a relative pronoun, or vocative exclamation such as “Hi there!”
Symbols- which are associated with their meanings through usage, “conventional signs” e.g. words, phrases, books, libraries.

Pattern Languages

Alexander, Ch. (1977). A Pattern Language. New York: Oxford.

Architects can design spaces through mapping out the flow of certain kinds of activity patterns. A space is divided up, arranged into a series of rooms. It is the flow of meaningful activities that define the use of the rooms. So, an entrance may open onto a parlour for greeting guests- this is already a socialization pattern that can start to define a cluster of connected rooms that accommodate the flow and shape of this pattern.

The analogy of thinking in terms of patterns for designing architectural spaces is to translate the same analysis of patterns, flows of activity, to the smaller scales of the user interface and the information architecture map.

Basics of Information Architecture (Jenifer Tidwell)- Notes

According to Tidwell, Information Architecture:

Is about 1) DIVIDING STUFF UP. Categories for division, note “nouns” and “verbs”:

• noun:List of objects-e.g. email, songs, books, images
• noun: List of subject categories- e.g. genomes, applications, Microarrays, videos
• verb: List of Actions/Tasks- e.g. browse, tag, buy, read, answer problems
• verb: List of tools- e.g. calendar, help, index, notepad, email form

Note, the nouns are obviously objects, groups of objects; and verbs are the activities, or those applications that enable activity. Keep the relationship of nouns and objects clear on the interface.

Is then about 2) ORGANIZING the Stuff. Most commonly used models for organization the interface to present the stuff depend on the emphasis of your stuff, if focused on presenting objects, these interface models are commonly used:

• Linear (sorted)
• 2D tables
• Hierarchy that groups items into categories
• Hierarchy that conveys relationships (e.g. parent/child, containers, etc.)
• Spatial organizations such as maps, desktops, networks,

Lemke- Multimodal Semiosis

Jay Lemke- Visual and Verbal Resources for Evaluative Meaning in Political Cartoons & Travels in Hypermodality 

Lemke is a social semiotician (he uses the term, “social semiotics”) and linguist, he analyzes the representational languages we use to convey and make meaning of our social experiences. Here he proposes units of discourse analysis: “evaluative meanings”. Evaluative meanings are the representations we deploy in order to make “evaluations” of “states of affairs or propositions or proposals”… Evaluative meanings are critical since they link belief to action.

Lemke is concerned with examining “evaluative meanings in multimodal texts.” In analyzing representational systems, Jay Lemke proposes that all semiosis is multimodal semiosis. Every representational artifact, the “material sign complex”, always manifests as a mix of representational modes. For example, even a textual artifact is read on the level of linguistic meaning and also visually on the level of its typeface and layout.

“…we always produce material signs that are susceptible of interpretation not just according to linguistic codes or meaning systems, but also according to visual ones or actional ones”

And further, Lemke writes that these “semiotic resource systems” have evolved together, so they determine and influence each other.