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Evaluating User Interfaces with Metaphors of Human Thinking

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Universal Access Theoretical Perspectives, Practice, and Experience (UI4ALL 2002)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2615))

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Abstract

Inspection techniques are a useful tool for identifying potential usability problems and for integrating at an early stage evaluation with design processes. Most inspection techniques, however, do not consider users’ thinking and may only be used for a limited range of devices and use contexts. We present an inspection technique based on five metaphors of essential aspects of human thinking. The aspects considered are habit; the stream of thought; awareness and associations; the relation between utterances and thought; and knowing. The proposed inspection technique makes users’ thinking the centre of evaluation and is readily applicable to new devices and non-traditional use contexts. Initial experience with the technique suggests that it is usable in discussing and evaluating user interfaces.

The authors contributed equally to the paper.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Sciences ITC Competence Centre, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100, Copenhagen

    Kasper Hornbæk

  2. Department of Computing, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 1, DK-2100, Copenhagen

    Erik Frøkjær

Authors
  1. Kasper Hornbæk
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  2. Erik Frøkjær
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. LORIA, UMR CNRS & INRIA, Université Henri Poincare, Nancy 1, Campus Scientifique, BP 239, 54506, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France

    Noëlle Carbonell

  2. Institute of Computer Science Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Science & Technology Park of Crete, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece

    Constantine Stephanidis

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Hornbæk, K., Frøkjær, E. (2003). Evaluating User Interfaces with Metaphors of Human Thinking. In: Carbonell, N., Stephanidis, C. (eds) Universal Access Theoretical Perspectives, Practice, and Experience. UI4ALL 2002. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2615. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36572-9_38

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36572-9_38

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-00855-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-36572-3

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