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tips screen that graphically and succinctly explains the features of the document and buttonbar functions, a
text-based table of contents, and an index-based search capability.
2.0 Technical Development of Explorations
2.1 Implementation of Frames
Explorations is comprised of a series of feature stories describing research in computational science. Through
the use of hypertext, the stories are supported with background information, examples from practical
applications related to the research, and links to related sites. We incorporated scientific visualizations
wherever possible to illustrate the concepts being presented. The structure of the book emerged through a team
effort as we explored the possibilities of the frames function.
As one of our first steps after committing to publishing a multimedia science publication on the Web, we
created a changeable storyboard using 4x5 file cards, which provided space for a small representation of each
screen type and explanatory notes and comments. These aided us in determining the interrelationships of the
publication screens within the whole and within a story. Shifting them around and changing their order
facilitated planning by trial and error. Once the flow concept was set, the plan was documented and
communicated to the team members via a generalized storyboard diagram created in Adobe PageMaker*. The
frame structure emerged from this planning process.
Netscape likens frames to window panes in the browser screen, each with a view of a different, but
related, part of the site. By clicking in a frame, you can move deeper, either as that particular frame refreshes
itself with new files, or as it calls up a file into another frame on the page. In the second model, the original
frame remains the same and serves as a reference point. We used both models in designing Explorations, but
focused our efforts on exploring the power of the second.
Figure 1. The frames function was used in Explorations as a graphical navigation tool. Here an image map in
the left frame holds links to two deeper layers of the story presented in the large frame. The small frame
(buttonbar, lower right) gives the viewer access to the whole site as well as help, feedback, and search
functions.
At the beginning of the project, we rejected the use of controlled formats such as Adobe Acrobat* or
PostScript*. Although they would have provided more design flexibility and artistic control, we saw this as
adopting hardcopy technology for online publication, rather than employing new technologies to develop the
publication completely in a hypertext environment. We began production of Explorations with the first beta