A linguistic approach to user interface design
This paper considers user interface design world (UIDW) as a system of communication lines. It necessitates the adoption of a UI design method, centered on language application. For that reason, this approach to UI design is called linguistic approach. The basic characteristics of communication require the presence of a balanced model of UIDW. The integration approach applied to the proposed balanced model submits for analyzing the following issues: the possibilities of object-oriented (OO) approach for providing a homogeneous platform for UI designing; the potential of OO approach for language implementation. The use of formal description provides a basis for the consideration of these issues. As a result of these considerations, the following conclusions are drawn. A technology can be used for language implementation if it ensures all abstract forms reflected to the language structure: concept - this is the essence of the word; forms based on individual abstraction reflect static relations of one description: forms based on group abstraction provide context description. At present, the OO technology covers a part of the language structure. It ensures the forms of concept and the forms based on individual abstraction. The OO paradigm can be regarded as a foundation of a linguistic approach to UI design when new OO forms are developed. They have to cover the forms of group abstraction. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
linguistic approach user interface design system design object-oriented approach abstract forms of cognition