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Abstract

In this paper an approach to user interfaces is made from a cognitive engineering point of view. A model of task representations within the user is given, together with complexity measures of the translations between the representations. Two main approaches to user interface design are compared: the conversational method and the model world method. Some of their strong and weak points are explained, in connection with their most sophisticated examples: natural language and direct manipulation. It turns out that in many respects they are complementary to each other.

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