Nested window management and task-oriented user interfaces

QDWM is an experimental window manager for X11 which distinguishes itself with the ability to run in a resizeable window managed by an existing X11 window manager, several times over. This abstract touches upon its implementation, related work and emerging opportunities for research.peer-reviewe

Challenges and Techniques for Personal Environment Management

People today use the computer for many simultaneous work projects and activities. The traditional file system was developed for storing and retrieving files and it and the desktop have not evolved with users' practices. The first part of the dissertation presents a user study that generates a better understanding of the issues and practices regarding the organization of documents in support of activities. The second part provides the design of an environment to organize information based on an activity paradigm as opposed to an archiving paradigm and delivers the instantiation and the evaluation of a system based on such a design. The system, called Docksy, provides an environment structured in workspaces. Each workspace is segmented in areas or panels. Users can use documents as elements to structure their workflow or to manage their activities by separating files in the different panels, and by adding comments, tags, and flags. The Docksy design aims to create a flexible, lightweight environment that is easy to use and can be incorporated into users' daily practice, old or new. Such a system could be used to learn about users' practices and their evolution. Docksy was therefore developed for a double purpose; the short term purpose of testing new features (panels, comments, flags, and tags) and the long term purpose of facilitating learning about user practices. A study of Docksy use was conducted in which twenty participants used Docksy for at least two weeks and they were then interviewed. The study showed that participants valued the panels and the comment features. The results of the study showed the potential for changing users' practice and the potential for the system to be adopted by users

AirConstellations: In-Air Device Formations for Cross-Device Interaction via Multiple Spatially-Aware Armatures

AirConstellations supports a unique semi-fixed style of cross-device interactions via multiple self-spatially-aware armatures to which users can easily attach (or detach) tablets and other devices. In particular, AirConstellations affords highly flexible and dynamic device formations where the users can bring multiple devices together in-air - with 2-5 armatures poseable in 7DoF within the same workspace - to suit the demands of their current task, social situation, app scenario, or mobility needs. This affords an interaction metaphor where relative orientation, proximity, attaching (or detaching) devices, and continuous movement into and out of ad-hoc ensembles can drive context-sensitive interactions. Yet all devices remain self-stable in useful configurations even when released in mid-air. We explore flexible physical arrangement, feedforward of transition options, and layering of devices in-air across a variety of multi-device app scenarios. These include video conferencing with flexible arrangement of the person-space of multiple remote participants around a shared task-space, layered and tiled device formations with overview+detail and shared-to-personal transitions, and flexible composition of UI panels and tool palettes across devices for productivity applications. A preliminary interview study highlights user reactions to AirConstellations, such as for minimally disruptive device formations, easier physical transitions, and balancing "seeing and being seen"in remote work

Probe-based visual analysis of geospatial simulations

This work documents the design, development, refinement, and evaluation of probes as an interaction technique for expanding both the usefulness and usability of geospatial visualizations, specifically those of simulations. Existing applications that allow the visualization of, and interaction with, geospatial simulations and their results generally present views of the data that restrict the user to a single perspective. When zoomed out, local trends and anomalies become suppressed and lost; when zoomed in, spatial awareness and comparison between regions become limited. The probe-based interaction model integrates coordinated visualizations within individual probe interfaces, which depict the local data in user-defined regions-of-interest. It is especially useful when dealing with complex simulations or analyses where behavior in various localities differs from other localities and from the system as a whole. The technique has been incorporated into a number of geospatial simulations and visualization tools. In each of these applications, and in general, probe-based interaction enhances spatial awareness, improves inspection and comparison capabilities, expands the range of scopes, and facilitates collaboration among multiple users. The great freedom afforded to users in defining regions-of-interest can cause modifiable areal unit problems to affect the reliability of analyses without the user’s knowledge, leading to misleading results. However, by automatically alerting the user to these potential issues, and providing them tools to help adjust their selections, these unforeseen problems can be revealed, and even corrected

Physical Interaction Concepts for Knowledge Work Practices

The majority of workplaces in developed countries concern knowledge work. Accordingly, the IT industry and research made great efforts for many years to support knowledge workers -- and indeed, computer-based information workplaces have come of age. Nevertheless, knowledge work in the physical world has still quite a number of unique advantages, and the integration of physical and digital knowledge work leaves a lot to be desired. The present thesis aims at reducing these deficiencies; thereby, it leverages late technology trends, in particular interactive tabletops and resizable hand-held displays. We start from the observation that knowledge workers develop highly efficient practices, skills, and dexterity of working with physical objects in the real world, whether content-unrelated (coffee mugs, stationery etc.) or content-related (books, notepads etc.). Among the latter, paper-based objects -- the notorious analog information bearers -- represent by far the most relevant (super-) category. We discern two kinds of practices: collective practices concern the arrangement of objects with respect to other objects and the desk, while specific practices operate on individual objects and usually alter them. The former are mainly employed for an effective management of the physical desktop workspace -- e.g., everyday objects are frequently moved on tables to optimize the desk as a workplace -- or an effective organization of paper-based documents on the desktop -- e.g., stacking, fanning out, sorting etc. The latter concern the specific manipulation of physical objects related to the task at hand, i.e. knowledge work. Widespread assimilated practices concern not only writing on, annotating, or spatially arranging paper documents but also sophisticated manipulations -- such as flipping, folding, bending, etc. Compared to the wealth of such well-established practices in the real world, those for digital knowledge work are bound by the indirection imposed by mouse and keyboard input, where the mouse provided such a great advancement that researchers were seduced to calling its use "direct manipulation". In this light, the goal of this thesis can be rephrased as exploring novel interaction concepts for knowledge workers that i) exploit the flexible and direct manipulation potential of physical objects (as present in the real world) for more intuitive and expressive interaction with digital content, and ii) improve the integration of the physical and digital knowledge workplace. Thereby, two directions of research are pursued. Firstly, the thesis investigates the collective practices executed on the desks of knowledge workers, thereby discerning content-related (more precisely, paper-based documents) and content-unrelated object -- this part is coined as table-centric approaches and leverages the technology of interactive tabletops. Secondly, the thesis looks at specific practices executed on paper, obviously concentrating on knowledge related tasks due to the specific role of paper -- this part is coined as paper-centric approaches and leverages the affordances of paper-like displays, more precisely of resizable i.e. rollable and foldable displays. The table-centric approach leads to the challenge of blending interactive tabletop technology with the established use of physical desktop workspaces. We first conduct an exploratory user study to investigate behavioral and usage patterns of interaction with both physical and digital documents on tabletop surfaces while performing tasks such as grouping and browsing. Based on results of the study, we contribute two sets of interaction and visualization concepts -- coined as PaperTop and ObjecTop -- that concern specific paper based practices and collective practices, respectively. Their efficiency and effectiveness are evaluated in a series of user studies. As mentioned, the paper-centric perspective leverages late ultra-thin resizable display technology. We contribute two sets of novel interaction concepts again -- coined as FoldMe and Xpaaand -- that respond to the design space of dual-sided foldable and of rollout displays, respectively. In their design, we leverage the physical act of resizing not "just" for adjusting the screen real estate but also for interactively performing operations. Initial user studies show a great potential for interaction with digital contents, i.e. for knowledge work

Stripes — A Conceptual Operating System User Interface

Perinteiset käyttöjärjestelmien graafiset käyttöliittymät suunniteltiin vuosikym- meniä sitten ja ovat muodostuneet osaksi jokapäiväistä elämäämme. Viime vuosien tietoteknillinen kehitys ja tietokoneiden muuttuneet käyttötarpeet ovat tuoneet esille nykyisten käyttöliittymien heikkoudet. Tämä lopputyö esittää vaihtoehtoisen käyttöliit- tymätoteutuksen, nimeltään Juovat, joka painottaa käytettävyyttä, yksinkertaisuutta, tuotteliaisuutta ja muita käyttäjäkeskeisiä arvoja. Työ kattaa ja analysoi nykyisten käyttöliittymien historian sekä viime vuosien tärkeimmät innovaatiot. Alan tutkiminen helpottaa nykyisten käyttöliittymien heik- kouksien ja vahvuuksien kartoittamisessa sekä auttaa muodostamaan selkeät kriteerit suunnitellulle käyttöliittymätoteutukselle. Juovat-käyttöliittymän kokonaisvaltainen suunnittelu ja useat yksityiskohdat esitel- lään seikkaperäisesti. Toimivuutta analysoidaan vertaamalla toteutuksen vahvuuksia ja heikkouksia olemassa oleviin käyttöliittymiin sekä testaamalla käytännön toimivuutta prototyypin avulla. Lopuksi testituloksia peilataan alkuperäisiin suunnittelukritee- reihin ja pohditaan työn onnistumista.Traditional computer operating system graphical user interfaces were designed decades ago have since become an integral part of our everyday lives. While fundamentally excellent, recent changes in the industry and use cases for computers are exposing the weaknesses in the implementations of current operating system user interfaces. This thesis is an attempt to propose an alternative, modernized user interface design — entitled Stripes — based on usability, simplicity, productivity, and other design guidelines. The history and recent innovative additions to the current implementations of WIMP- based operating system user interfaces are outlined and analyzed. This contextual mapping of the field helps in identifying key problems and strengths of modern computer user interfaces, and, in addition to the aforementioned guidelines, form a basis for the design of the proposed concept. The fundamental design choices, as well as several details of Stripes are described and explained. Its theoretical improvements and disadvantages over current user interface implementations are first discussed, then tested with the help of an interactive proto- type. The favorable and critical test outcomes are described in detail, and reflected against the original design guidelines of the concept. Finally, conclusions on the success of the proposed interface are provided

Scalable visual analytics over voluminous spatiotemporal data

2018 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.Visualization is a critical part of modern data analytics. This is especially true of interactive and exploratory visual analytics, which encourages speedy discovery of trends, patterns, and connections in data by allowing analysts to rapidly change what data is displayed and how it is displayed. Unfortunately, the explosion of data production in recent years has led to problems of scale as storage, processing, querying, and visualization have struggled to keep pace with data volumes. Visualization of spatiotemporal data pose unique challenges, thanks in part to high-dimensionality in the input feature space, interactions between features, and the production of voluminous, high-resolution outputs. In this dissertation, we address challenges associated with supporting interactive, exploratory visualization of voluminous spatiotemporal datasets and underlying phenomena. This requires the visualization of millions of entities and changes to these entities as the spatiotemporal phenomena unfolds. The rendering and propagation of spatiotemporal phenomena must be both accurate and timely. Key contributions of this dissertation include: 1) the temporal and spatial coupling of spatially localized models to enable the visualization of phenomena at far greater geospatial scales; 2) the ability to directly compare and contrast diverging spatiotemporal outcomes that arise from multiple exploratory "what-if" queries; and 3) the computational framework required to support an interactive user experience in a heavily resource-constrained environment. We additionally provide support for collaborative and competitive exploration with multiple synchronized clients

Contributions to the cornerstones of interaction in visualization: strengthening the interaction of visualization

Visualization has become an accepted means for data exploration and analysis. Although interaction is an important component of visualization approaches, current visualization research pays less attention to interaction than to aspects of the graphical representation. Therefore, the goal of this work is to strengthen the interaction side of visualization. To this end, we establish a unified view on interaction in visualization. This unified view covers four cornerstones: the data, the tasks, the technology, and the human.Visualisierung hat sich zu einem unverzichtbaren Werkzeug für die Exploration und Analyse von Daten entwickelt. Obwohl Interaktion ein wichtiger Bestandteil solcher Werkzeuge ist, wird der Interaktion in der aktuellen Visualisierungsforschung weniger Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet als Aspekten der graphischen Repräsentation. Daher ist es das Ziel dieser Arbeit, die Interaktion im Bereich der Visualisierung zu stärken. Hierzu wird eine einheitliche Sicht auf Interaktion in der Visualisierung entwickelt

Interactive Visualization Lenses:: Natural Magic Lens Interaction for Graph Visualization

Information visualization is an important research field concerned with making sense and inferring knowledge from data collections. Graph visualizations are specific techniques for data representation relevant in diverse application domains among them biology, software-engineering, and business finance. These data visualizations benefit from the display space provided by novel interactive large display environments. However, these environments also cause new challenges and result in new requirements regarding the need for interaction beyond the desktop and according redesign of analysis tools. This thesis focuses on interactive magic lenses, specialized locally applied tools that temporarily manipulate the visualization. These may include magnification of focus regions but also more graph-specific functions such as pulling in neighboring nodes or locally reducing edge clutter. Up to now, these lenses have mostly been used as single-user, single-purpose tools operated by mouse and keyboard. This dissertation presents the extension of magic lenses both in terms of function as well as interaction for large vertical displays. In particular, this thesis contributes several natural interaction designs with magic lenses for the exploration of graph data in node-link visualizations using diverse interaction modalities. This development incorporates flexible switches between lens functions, adjustment of individual lens properties and function parameters, as well as the combination of lenses. It proposes interaction techniques for fluent multi-touch manipulation of lenses, controlling lenses using mobile devices in front of large displays, and a novel concept of body-controlled magic lenses. Functional extensions in addition to these interaction techniques convert the lenses to user-configurable, personal territories with use of alternative interaction styles. To create the foundation for this extension, the dissertation incorporates a comprehensive design space of magic lenses, their function, parameters, and interactions. Additionally, it provides a discussion on increased embodiment in tool and controller design, contributing insights into user position and movement in front of large vertical displays as a result of empirical investigations and evaluations.Informationsvisualisierung ist ein wichtiges Forschungsfeld, das das Analysieren von Daten unterstützt. Graph-Visualisierungen sind dabei eine spezielle Variante der Datenrepräsentation, deren Nutzen in vielerlei Anwendungsfällen zum Einsatz kommt, u.a. in der Biologie, Softwareentwicklung und Finanzwirtschaft. Diese Datendarstellungen profitieren besonders von großen Displays in neuen Displayumgebungen. Jedoch bringen diese Umgebungen auch neue Herausforderungen mit sich und stellen Anforderungen an Nutzerschnittstellen jenseits der traditionellen Ansätze, die dadurch auch Anpassungen von Analysewerkzeugen erfordern. Diese Dissertation befasst sich mit interaktiven „Magischen Linsen“, spezielle lokal-angewandte Werkzeuge, die temporär die Visualisierung zur Analyse manipulieren. Dabei existieren zum Beispiel Vergrößerungslinsen, aber auch Graph-spezifische Manipulationen, wie das Anziehen von Nachbarknoten oder das Reduzieren von Kantenüberlappungen im lokalen Bereich. Bisher wurden diese Linsen vor allem als Werkzeug für einzelne Nutzer mit sehr spezialisiertem Effekt eingesetzt und per Maus und Tastatur bedient. Die vorliegende Doktorarbeit präsentiert die Erweiterung dieser magischen Linsen, sowohl in Bezug auf die Funktionalität als auch für die Interaktion an großen, vertikalen Displays. Insbesondere trägt diese Dissertation dazu bei, die Exploration von Graphen mit magischen Linsen durch natürliche Interaktion mit unterschiedlichen Modalitäten zu unterstützen. Dabei werden flexible Änderungen der Linsenfunktion, Anpassungen von individuellen Linseneigenschaften und Funktionsparametern, sowie die Kombination unterschiedlicher Linsen ermöglicht. Es werden Interaktionstechniken für die natürliche Manipulation der Linsen durch Multitouch-Interaktion, sowie das Kontrollieren von Linsen durch Mobilgeräte vor einer Displaywand vorgestellt. Außerdem wurde ein neuartiges Konzept körpergesteuerter magischer Linsen entwickelt. Funktionale Erweiterungen in Kombination mit diesen Interaktionskonzepten machen die Linse zu einem vom Nutzer einstellbaren, persönlichen Arbeitsbereich, der zudem alternative Interaktionsstile erlaubt. Als Grundlage für diese Erweiterungen stellt die Dissertation eine umfangreiche analytische Kategorisierung bisheriger Forschungsarbeiten zu magischen Linsen vor, in der Funktionen, Parameter und Interaktion mit Linsen eingeordnet werden. Zusätzlich macht die Arbeit Vor- und Nachteile körpernaher Interaktion für Werkzeuge bzw. ihre Steuerung zum Thema und diskutiert dabei Nutzerposition und -bewegung an großen Displaywänden belegt durch empirische Nutzerstudien