Two-dimensional spatial positioning as a means for reflection in design

  • Authors:

  • Kumiyo Nakakoji;Yasuhiro Yamamoto;Shingo Takada;Brent N. Reeves

  • Affiliations:

  • Grad. School of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science & Technology, 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0101, Japan and Software Engineering Lab., SRA Inc., 3-12 Yotsuya, Shinjyuku, To ...;Grad. School of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science & Technology, 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0101, Japan;Faculty of Sci. and Tech., Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan;Twinbear Research, 6138 Gale Dr., Boulder, CO

  • Venue:
  • DIS '00 Proceedings of the 3rd conference on Designing interactive systems: processes, practices, methods, and techniques
  • Year:
  • 2000

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Abstract

In the realm of computer support for design, developers have focused primarily on power and expressiveness that are important in framing a design solution. They assume that design is a series of calculated steps that lead to a clearly specified goal. The problem with this focus is that the resulting tools hinder the very process that is critical in early phases of a design task; the reflection-in-action process [15]. In the early phases, what is required as the most important ingredient for a design tool is the ability to interact in ways that require as little commitment as possible. This aspect is most evident in domains where two dimensions play a role, such as sketching in architecture. Surprisingly, it is equally true in linear domains such as writing. In this paper, we present our approach of using two-dimensional positioning of objects as a means for reflection in the early phases of a design task. Taking writing as an example, the ART (Amplifying Representational Talkback) system uses two dimensional positioning to support the early stages of the writing task. An eye-tracking user study illustrates important issues in the domain of computer support for design.