Ben Shneiderman Founding Director ( ), Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory Professor, Department of Computer Science Member, Institutes for Advanced Computer Studies & Systems Research University of Maryland College Park, MD User Interfaces for Creativity Support Tools Ben Shneiderman Founding Director ( ), Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory Professor, Department of Computer Science Member, Institutes for Advanced Computer Studies & Systems Research University of Maryland College Park, MD © 2001, University of Maryland, - All Rights Reserved.

Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory Interdisciplinary research community - Computer Science & Psychology - Information Studies & Education

User Interface Design Goals Z Z Cognitively comprehensible: Consistent, predictable & controllable Z Z Affectively acceptable: Mastery, satisfaction & responsibility Design philosophy: Direct Manipulation NOT: Adaptive, autonomous & anthropomorphic

Scientific Approach (beyond user friendly) Z Specify users and tasks Z Predict and measure ] time to learn ] speed of performance ] rate of human errors  human retention over time Z Assess subjective satisfaction (Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction 7.0) Z Accommodate individual differences Z Consider social, organizational & cultural context usableweb.com

Library of Congress Z Scholars, Journalists, Citizens Z Teachers, Students

Visible Human Explorer (NLM) Z Doctors Z Surgeons Z Researchers Z Students

NASA Environmental Data Z Scientists Z Farmers Z Land planners Z Students

Bureau of Census Z Economists, Policy makers, Journalists Z Teachers, Students

Dynamic Queries: HomeFinder See

FilmFinder - See

Creativity Support Tools Genex Framework: Collect-Relate-Create-Donate

Creativity Support Tools: Goals Z More people, more creative, more of the time ] Revolutionary breakthroughs, paradigm shifts, H-creativity ] Evolutionary, normal science, music & art, creative knowledge work ] Impromptu everyday creativity Z Raised expectations for professionals ] Tailored solutions ] Cheaper, faster, better

Structuralists: A plan, method, process Z Z Polya's four steps in How to Solve It (1957): ] ] 1) Understanding the problem ] ] 2) Devising a plan ] ] 3) Carrying out the plan ] ] 4) Looking back Z Z Couger (1996) reviews 22 "creative problem solving methodologies" ] ] Preparation ] ] Incubation ] ] Illumination ] ] Verification

Inspirationalists: Aha, Aha, Aha! Z Free associations ] Brainstorming ] Thesauri, photo collages ] Random stimuli, inkblots Z Breaking set ] Getting away to different locations ] Working on other problems ] Meditating, sleeping, walking Z Visualization ] 2-d networks of ideas ] Sketching

Situationalists: context, community, collaboration Z Personal history ] Family history, parents, siblings ] Challenging teachers, inspirational mentors ] Supportive peers and partners Z Consultation ] Peers and mentors ] Early, middle and late stages ] Information and empathic support Z Motivations ] Fame, legacy, admiration ] Competition

Csikszentmihalyi’s book Creativity (1993) Z Z 1) Domain : e.g. mathematics or biology "consists of a set of symbols, rules and procedures” Z Z 2) Field : "the individuals who act as gatekeepers to the domain...decide whether a new idea, performance, or product should be included” Z Z 3) Individual : creativity is "when a person... has a new idea or sees a new pattern, and when this novelty is selected by the appropriate field for inclusion in the relevant domain"

Genex (Generator of Excellence) Framework Genex (Generator of Excellence) Framework Z Collect ] Learn from previous works stored in digital libraries, the web, etc. Z Relate ] Consult with peers & mentors, early, mid & late stages Z Create ] Explore, discover, compose, evaluate possible solutions Z Donate ] Disseminate refined results and contribute to the digital libraries, the web, etc.

Genex: Some potential down sides Genex: Some potential down sides Z Collect ] Will knowledge of previous work limit imagination? Z Relate ] Could mentors discourage exotic ideas? ] Could peers rip-off your innovation? Z Create ] Will using standard tools limit creativity? Z Donate ] Could the desire for intellectual property protection limit dissemination?

Eight Activities in Genex Z Z 1) Searching & browsing digital libraries Z Z 2) Consulting with peers & mentors Z Z 3) Visualizing data & processes Z Z 4) Thinking by free associations Z Z 5) Exploring solutions - What if tools Z Z 6) Composing artifacts & performances Z Z 7) Reviewing & replaying session histories   8) Disseminating results

1) Searching & Browsing Digital Libraries Z Predictable, controllable text search ] Formulation: source, fields, phrases, variants ] Action ] Results ] Refinement Z Improved multimedia search Z Overviews & previews Z User-controlled information visualization (“Clarifying Search”, Shneiderman, Byrd & Croft, 1997 & CACM 4/98)

2) Consulting with Peers & Mentors Z Early, middle and late stages Z Information and empathic support Z Build trust by negotiated expectations ] , listservs, newsgroups, bboards ] Chat rooms, MUDs, MOOs ] Comprehensive online communities ] Audio/video conferencing ] Telemedicine, collaboratories, groupware ] Tele-meeting, tele-democracy

3) Visualizing Data & Processes Z Z Visual bandwidth is enormous ] ] Human perceptual skills are remarkable X X Trend, cluster, gap, outlier... X X Color, size, shape, proximity... ] ] Human image storage is fast and vast Z Z Opportunities ] ] Spatial layouts & window coordination ] ] Information visualization ] ] Scientific visualization and simulation ] ] Telepresence and augmented reality ] ] Virtual Environments Online Library of Information Visualization Environments

Information Visualization The eye… the window of the soul, is the principal means by which the central sense can most completely and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of nature. Leonardo da Vinci ( )

Treemap Implementations

4) Thinking by Free Associations Z Free associations ] Brainstorming ] Thesauri, photo collages ] Random stimuli, inkblots Z Breaking set ] Getting away to different locations ] Working on other problems ] Meditating, sleeping, walking Z Visualization ] 2-d networks of ideas ] Sketching

An Idea Visualization Tool The human vision is by far the most developed and powerful faculty. The Idea Processor exploits visual attributes such as: color, shape, size, scale, position, depth, link, icon, etc. Visual cues facilitate recall, association, and discovery. Diagrams and pictures help you to represent and solve complex problems. Visualization reinforces your short term memory. Towards Higher Abstractions Ideas and diagrams are the basic abstractions of the Axon Idea Processor. Ideas are shown as graphical objects and its relationship shown as links. You get the big picture at all times, and details can be hidden from view. Stimulate Recall & Creativity The Idea Processor has an integrated Checklist Management System and a library of Checklists on problem-solving strategies, words of wisdom, etc. Checklists are effective means of capturing and transferring knowledge, and it effectively amplifies your intelligence.

5) Exploring Solutions - What If Tools Z Z State space exploration ] ] “Combinationist theory” ] ] Spreadsheets Z Z Simulation ] ] SimCity ] ] Flight Simulator ] ] Weather forecasts

6) Composing Artifacts & Performances Z Initiate a new composition ] Exemplars ] Templates ] Processes Z Revise at multiple levels ] Low ] Middle ] High Z Evaluate and refine ] Feedback about problems ] Measurement (“Composition”, Hawaii Int’l Conf. on Systems Science, January 2000)

7) Reviewing & Replaying Session Histories Z Record compact histories Z Allow users to review & annotate history Z Disseminate histories (histories as first class objects) ] Send by ] Post to website ] Consult synchronously & asynchronously Z Edit, extract, combine, search Z Replay: slow, fast, reverse Z Macros to automate exploration

Imaginary dialysis procedure exploration

8) Disseminating Results Z Disseminate refined solution to gatekeepers ] Facilitate web publishing & focused advertising ] Reach subscribers & organizational gatekeepers ] Ensure quality by editors & reviewers Z Contribute to digital library communities ] Journals, books, resources, libraries, communities ] Science fairs, student projects, galleries, performances

Genex: Integrated Framework for Software Z Modular design to enable components Z Common file formats for easy movement Z Functionality to support 8 activities Z Direct manipulation for rapid learning, powerful actions, low error rates, high retention

Leonardo da Vinci ( ) Renaissance Man Z Painter Z Inventor Z Visionary Z Mathematician Z Philosopher Z Engineer

Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory 18 th Annual Symposium & Open House May 31-June 1,

References Shneiderman, Ben, Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction: Third Edition, Addison Wesley Longman, Reading, MA (1998) Shneiderman, Ben, Relate-Create-Donate: A teaching philosophy for the cyber-generation, Computers & Education 31, 1 (1998), Shneiderman, B., Creating Creativity: User interfaces for supporting innovation, ACM Transactions on Computer Human Interaction 7, 1 (2000),