Designing Interaction Paradigms for Web-Information Search and Retrieval

As the complexity of the information available on the web increases, the role of user-data interaction paradigms is becoming increasingly critical for the success of web information retrieval. Recent years have witnessed significant advances in techniques for indexing and querying web data. However, in the same period, limited advancements have been made in developing paradigms and researching algorithmic issues associated with the design of interfaces for web-search. In this paper, we propose a novel paradigm for enabling multiple-perspective query and interaction in web search. Underlying the proposed metaphor are information and pattern analysis techniques that help determine semantic correlations between web pages, identify and extract information critical for intuitive understanding and hypothesis generation, and support effective and multiple-perspective interactions between users and the data. We provide a comprehensive study on the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach in query-retrieval scenarios involving complex information goals. Our investigations point to the importance of developing novel ways to mediate interactions during web-search and will be useful in the development of the next generation of real-world solutions for web information retrieval

From Keyword Search to Exploration: How Result Visualization Aids Discovery on the Web

A key to the Web's success is the power of search. The elegant way in which search results are returned is usually remarkably effective. However, for exploratory search in which users need to learn, discover, and understand novel or complex topics, there is substantial room for improvement. Human computer interaction researchers and web browser designers have developed novel strategies to improve Web search by enabling users to conveniently visualize, manipulate, and organize their Web search results. This monograph offers fresh ways to think about search-related cognitive processes and describes innovative design approaches to browsers and related tools. For instance, while key word search presents users with results for specific information (e.g., what is the capitol of Peru), other methods may let users see and explore the contexts of their requests for information (related or previous work, conflicting information), or the properties that associate groups of information assets (group legal decisions by lead attorney). We also consider the both traditional and novel ways in which these strategies have been evaluated. From our review of cognitive processes, browser design, and evaluations, we reflect on the future opportunities and new paradigms for exploring and interacting with Web search results

Interaction platform-orientated perspective in designing novel applications

The lack of HCI offerings in the invention of novel software applications and the bias of design knowledge towards desktop GUI make it difficult for us to design for novel scenarios and applications that leverage emerging computational technologies. These include new media platforms such as mobiles, interactive TV, tabletops and large multi-touch walls on which many of our future applications will operate. We argue that novel application design should come not from user-centred requirements engineering as in developing a conventional application, but from understanding the interaction characteristics of the new platforms. Ensuring general usability for a particular interaction platform without rigorously specifying envisaged usage contexts helps us to design an artifact that does not restrict the possible application contexts and yet is usable enough to help brainstorm its more exact place for future exploitation

Using ontologies to support and critique decisions

Supporting decision making in the working environment has long being pursued by practitioners across a variety of fields, ranging from sociology and operational research to cognitive and computer scientists. A number of computer-supported systems and various technologies have been used over the years, but as we move into more global and flexible organisational structures, new technologies and challenges arise. In this paper, I argue for an ontology-based solution and present some of the early prototypes we have been developing, assess their impact on the decision making process and elaborate on the costs involved

Challenges in interface and interaction design for context-aware augmented memory systems

The human long-term memory is astonishingly powerful but fallible at the same time. This makes it very easy to forget information one is sure one actually knows. We propose context-aware augmented memory systems as a solution to this problem. In this paper, we analyse the user interface and interaction design challenges that need to be overcome to build such a system. We hope for fruitful interdisciplinary discussions on how best to address these challenges

The digital parrot: Combining context-awareness and semantics to augment memory

People of all ages and backgrounds are prone to forgetting information, even about their personal experiences. Existing systems to support people in remembering such information either continuously record a person’s experiences or provide means to store and retrieve clearly defined, isolated pieces of data. We propose a new approach: combining context-awareness with semantic information. We believe this approach to be superior to the existing systems in certain types of situations. This position paper introduces this approach and our own ongoing project, the Digital Parrot

Mobile access to personal digital photograph archives

Handheld computing devices are becoming highly connected devices with high capacity storage. This has resulted in their being able to support storage of, and access to, personal photo archives. However the only means for mobile device users to browse such archives is typically a simple one-by-one scroll through image thumbnails in the order that they were taken, or by manually organising them based on folders. In this paper we describe a system for context-based browsing of personal digital photo archives. Photos are labeled with the GPS location and time they are taken and this is used to derive other context-based metadata such as weather conditions and daylight conditions. We present our prototype system for mobile digital photo retrieval, and an experimental evaluation illustrating the utility of location information for effective personal photo retrieval