Human Computer

Interaction
WIMP & Interaction Paradigms
In Today’s Lecture

• What are Paradigms

• Paradigms of Interaction

• Paradigm shifts (example)

• Batch processing
• Timesharing
• Networking
• Graphical display
• Microprocessor
• WWW
• Ubiquitous Computing
Why Study Paradigms?
Concerns
• how can an interactive system be developed to ensure its usability?
• how can the usability of an interactive system be demonstrated or measured?

History of interactive system design provides paradigms for usable

designs
What are Paradigms
• Predominant theoretical frameworks or scientific world views
• e.g., Aristotelian, Newtonian, Einsteinian (relativistic) paradigms in physics
• Understanding HCI history is largely about understanding a series of
paradigm shifts
• Not all listed here are necessarily “paradigm” shifts, but are at least
candidates
• History will judge which are true shifts
Interaction Paradigms
• Informs design of a conceptual model
• A particular philosophy or way of thinking about interaction design
• E.g., designing applications for the desktop environment
Paradigms of Interaction
New computing technologies arrive, creating a new perception of the
human—computer relationship.

We can trace some of these shifts in the history of interactive

technologies.
The Initial Paradigm
• Batch processing

Impersonal computing
Example Paradigm Shifts
• Batch processing
• Time-sharing

Interactive computing
Example Paradigm Shifts
• Batch processing
@#$% !
• Timesharing
• Networking

Community computing
Example Paradigm Shifts
• Batch processing C…P… filename Move this file here,
• Timesharing dot star… or was and copy this to there.
it R…M?
• Networking
• Graphical displays % foo.bar
ABORT
dumby!!!

Direct manipulation
Example Paradigm Shifts
• Batch processing
• Timesharing
• Networking
• Graphical display
• Microprocessor

Personal computing
Example Paradigm Shifts
• Batch processing
• Timesharing
• Networking
• Graphical display
• Microprocessor
• WWW

Global information
Example Paradigm Shifts
• Batch processing • A symbiosis of physical and
electronic worlds in service of
• Timesharing everyday activities.
• Networking
• Graphical display
• Microprocessor
• WWW
• Ubiquitous Computing
“Where are We Now?”

User Productivity ?
WIMP
(Windows)
Command
Line
Batch

1940s – 1950s 1960s – 1970s 1980s - Present ?

Time
Time-sharing
• 1940s and 1950s – explosive technological growth

• 1960s – need to channel the power

• J.C.R. Licklider at ARPA

• single computer supporting multiple users

Innovator: J. R. Licklider
• 1960 - Postulated “man-computer symbiosis”

• Couple human brains

and computing machines
tightly to revolutionize
information handling
Video Display Units
• more suitable medium than paper

• 1962 – Sutherland's Sketchpad

• computers for visualizing and

Ivan Sutherland
manipulating data •Sketchpad - ‘63 PhD thesis at MIT
 Hierarchy - pictures & sub pictures
 Master picture with instances (i.e., OOP)
• one person's contribution could  Constraints

drastically change the history of  Icons

 Copying
computing  Light pen as input device
 Recursive operations
Programming toolkits
• Engelbart at Stanford Research Institute

• 1963 – augmenting man's intellect

• 1968 NLS/Augment system

demonstration Douglas Englebart

Inventor
• the right programming toolkit provides
of mouse
building blocks to producing complex
interactive systems
About Doug Engelbart
• Graduate of Berkeley (EE '55)
• "bi-stable gaseous plasma digital devices"
• Stanford Research Institute (SRI)
• Augmentation Research Center
• 1962 Paper "Conceptual Model for Augmenting Human Intellect"
• Complexity of problems increasing
• Need better ways of solving problems

Picture of Engelbart from bootstrap.org

Personal computing
• 1970s – Papert's LOGO language for
simple graphics programming by
children

• A system is more powerful as it becomes

easier to user
Alan Kay
• Future of computing in small, powerful
machines dedicated to the individual Dynabook - Notebook sized
computer loaded with multimedia
and can store everything
• Kay at Xerox PARC – the Dynabook as the
ultimate personal computer
Window systems and the WIMP interface
• humans can pursue more than one
task at a time

• windows used for dialogue

partitioning, to “change the topic”

• Xerox PARC - mid 1970’s

• Alto
• local processor, bitmap
display, mouse
• Precursor to modern GUI,
windows, menus, scrollbars
• LAN - Ethernet
Window systems and the WIMP interface
• 1981 – Xerox Star first
commercial windowing system

• windows, icons, menus and

pointers now familiar
interaction mechanisms
Metaphor
• relating computing to other real-world activity is effective teaching
technique
• LOGO's turtle dragging its tail
• file management on an office desktop
• word processing as typing
• financial analysis on spreadsheets
• virtual reality – user inside the metaphor

• Problems
• some tasks do not fit into a given metaphor
• cultural bias
Direct manipulation
• 1982 – Shneiderman describes appeal of graphically-based interaction
• visibility of objects
• incremental action and rapid feedback
• reversibility encourages exploration
• syntactic correctness of all actions
• replace language with action

• 1984 – Apple Macintosh

• the model-world metaphor

• What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG)

Language versus Action

• actions do not always speak louder than words!

• DM – interface replaces underlying system

• language paradigm

• interface as mediator

• interface acts as intelligent agent

• programming by example is both action and language

Hypertext
• 1945 – Vannevar Bush and the memex

• key to success in managing explosion of information

• mid 1960s – Nelson describes hypertext as non-linear browsing

structure

• hypermedia and multimedia

• Nelson's Xanadu project still a dream today

Innovator: Vannevar Bush
• “As We May Think” - 1945 Atlantic Monthly
• “…publication has been extended far beyond our
present ability to make real use of the record.”
• Postulated Memex device
• Stores all records/articles/communications
• Items retrieved by indexing, keywords, cross
references (now called hyperlinks)
• (Envisioned as microfilm, not computer)
• Interactive and nonlinear components are key
• http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/computer/bushf.htm
More About Vannevar Bush

• Name rhymes with "Beaver"

• Faculty member MIT
• Coordinated WWII effort with 6000 US
scientists
• Social contract for science
• federal government funds universities
• universities do basic research
• research helps economy & national defense
Innovator: Ted Nelson
• Computers can help people, not just business

• Coined term
“hypertext”
Multimodality
• a mode is a human communication channel

• emphasis on simultaneous use of multiple

channels for input and output
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
(CSCW)
• CSCW removes bias of single user / single computer system

• Can no longer neglect the social aspects

• Electronic mail is most prominent success

 The World Wide Web
• Hypertext, as originally realized, was a closed system

• Simple, universal protocols (e.g. HTTP) and mark-up languages (e.g.

HTML) made publishing and accessing easy

• Critical mass of users lead to a complete transformation of our

information economy.
Agent-based Interfaces
• Original interfaces
• Commands given to computer
• Language-based

• Direct Manipulation/WIMP
• Commands performed on “world” representation
• Action based

• Agents - return to language by instilling proactivity and “intelligence” in

command processor
• Avatars, natural language processing
Examples of new paradigms
• Ubiquitous computing (mother of them all)
• Pervasive computing
• Wearable computing
• Tangible bits, augmented reality
• Attentive environments
• Transparent computing
• and many more….
Ubiquitous Computing
The most profound technologies are those that disappear.”
Mark Weiser, 1991

Late 1980’s: computer was very apparent

How to make it disappear?

• Shrink and embed/distribute it in the physical world
• Design interactions that don’t demand our intention
Ubiquitous Computing
“The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they
are indistinguishable from it.”
Mark Weiser, 1991

Late 1980’s: computer was very apparent

How to make it disappear?

• Shrink and embed/distribute it in the physical world
• Design interactions that don’t demand our intention

• Aka pervasive computing

Innovator: Mark Weiser
• Introduced notion of Ubiquitous Computing and Calm Technology
• It’s everywhere, but recedes quietly into background
• CTO of Xerox PARC
Sensor-based and Context-aware Interaction
• Humans are good at recognizing the “context” of a situation and
reacting appropriately

• Automatically sensing physical phenomena (e.g., light, temp, location,

identity) becoming easier

• How can we go from sensed physical measures to interactions that

behave as if made “aware” of the surroundings?
Wearables
• New interaction paradigms
• Ubiquitous computing (technology embedded in the environment)
• Computers disappear into the environment so you are no longer aware of them and use them without thinking
• Extends human capabilities
• Pervasive computing (seamless integration of technology), e.g., smart devices (designed for particular activity) cell
phones, PDAs, fridges
• Wearable computing (or wearables)
Augmented Reality
• New interaction paradigms
• Tangible bits, augmented reality, and physical/virtual integration
• Combine digital info with physical objects
• E.g., greeting card with digital animation
• Attentive environments and transparent computing
• Computers attend to user’s needs
• Anticipate what users want to do, e.g., detect where people are looking and decide what to
display (GAP store in Minority Report – Tom Cruise)