Lexical and pragmatic considerations of input structures

Increased access to computer-based tools has mad e only too clear the deficiencies in our ability to produc e effective user interfaces [I] . Many of our current problems are rooted in our lack of sufficiently powerfu l theories and methodologies . User interface desig n remains more of a creative art than a hard science . Following an age-old technique, the point of departure for much recent work has been to attempt t o impose some structure on the problem domain . Perhaps the most significant difference between this work an d earlier efforts is the weight placed on considerations falling outside the scope of conventional computer science . The traditional problem-reduction paradigm is being re placed by a holistic approach which views the problem as an integration of issues from computer science, electrical engineering, industrial design, cognitive psychology, psychophysics, linguistics, and kinesthetics . In the main body of this paper, we examine some o f the taxonomies which have been proposed and illustrat e how they can serve as useful structures for relatin g studies in user interface problems . In so doing, we attempt to augment the power of these structures b y developing their ability to take into account the effect o f gestural and positional factors on the overall effect of th e user interface .