Anais do IHC'2001 - Departamento de Informática e Estatística - UFSC

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Anais do IHC’2001 - IV Workshop sobre Fatores Humanos em Sistemas Computacionais
Analyzing HCI in Multiple Environments: A Case Study
Simone Diniz Junqueira Barbosa, Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza, Gilda Dahis
Departamento de Informática, PUC-Rio
Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225
Gávea, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22453-900
{sim, clarisse, gilda}@inf.puc-rio.br
Abstract. As the computer industry moves towards universal accessibility, with a
wide variety of interactive devices and environments, the need for specific
research in HCI analysis and design for multiple environments grows
accordingly. In this paper, we investigate some communicative aspects of
interactive applications, borrowing concepts from communication-related
disciplines. Our goal is to take the first steps in coupling lessons learned in these
disciplines with a theoretical study of HCI, in order to devise a framework of
analysis that can be applied to diverse environments.
Keywords: multiple-environment interfaces, interaction model, discourse
structure, pragmatics, HCI analysis, semiotic engineering
1. Introduction
Over the last few years, we have been watching the computer industry develop an everincreasing
variety of interactive environments and devices, in an attempt to reach the
largest possible number of users, and thus move towards universal accessibility. The wide
range of input and output capabilities brings about an urgent need for specific research in
HCI analysis and design for multiple environments. On the one hand, we have
environments with diverse characteristics, each demanding a particular HCI treatment. On
the other hand, we often need to provide the same services and systems across
environments, which requires a more integrated approach to multiple-environment HCI
analysis and design.
Most interaction models used in HCI focus on the grammatical aspects of wellbehaved
interaction. Some researchers have also provided guidelines that aim at achieving
successful interaction. However, most of them have not taken advantage of the
communicative aspect of interactive software, and have not looked into linguistic or
semiotic literature for investigating the similarities between HCI and these fields. For
instance, Linguistics has long investigated the complementary roles of grammar and
pragmatics in language, as we can see in the following excerpt:
“Language consists of grammar and pragmatics. Grammar is an abstract
formal system for producing and interpreting messages. General
pragmatics is a set of strategies and principles for achieving success in
communication by the use of grammar.” (Leech, 1983:76)
Viewing interaction from a communicative perspective, we could try to use studies from
other communication-related fields to provide a theory of HCI, which is mostly an applied
field of research. One such theory has come forth under the name of Semiotic Engineering