SIGGRAPH '76 Proceedings of the 3rd annual conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques
Design of Man-Computer Dialogues
Design of Man-Computer Dialogues
User engineering principles for interactive systems
AFIPS '71 (Fall) Proceedings of the November 16-18, 1971, fall joint computer conference
Why things are so bad for the computer-naive user
AFIPS '75 Proceedings of the May 19-22, 1975, national computer conference and exposition
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Effective use of batch software requires a relatively high level of knowledge from the end user. Such a threshold can preclude application of existing software by potential users who are unfamiliar with computer use. Image processing is an example of an area with large amounts of existing batch software. An instance of the threshold problem occurs when natural resource management experts, with minimal computer application experience, want to use satellite imagery to aid management decisions in their discipline areas. This paper discusses the design of an interactive system to solve the problem by allowing inexperienced users to employ existing batch image analysis software with minimal supervision. The design provides for online explanation of terms and functions, default values for most parameters, and allocation of necessary computer resources (e.g., disk files). The user-system dialog may be conducted at any of three levels, allowing continued use as experience is gained. The design considerations and techniques used are generally relevant to accessing batch software for any application area. Difficulties of implementation and expansion are also discussed.