Describes a study where 66 subjects were asked to perform some predefined book purchasing task in a series of Web sites with varying interface quality. A strong relationship between interface quality and trust was found and some components of user interface quality were more important than others. Discusses implications for Web site design.…

Two controlled experiments examined whether the animated zooming effect accompanying the opening or closing of a folder in the Apple Macintosh graphical user interface aids in the user's perception of which window corresponds to which folder. Results suggest users may become attuned to the informational content of the zooming effect with…

The design of systems, including digital libraries, is often inspired by what technology makes possible. In user-centered design, design emphasizes users, their tasks and needs. The majority of current digital libraries are not designed for children. For digital libraries to be popular with children, they need to be fun and easy-to-use. This paper…

As more information resources become accessible using computers, the digital interfaces to those resources need to be appropriate for all people. However, when it comes to digital libraries, the interfaces have typically been designed for older children or adults. The researchers have begun to develop a digital library interface that is…

Describes an experiment in which presentation size and text length is varied in a HyperCard application. Students performed a fact-retrieval task from a reference handbook. No interaction is found between these two independent variables. Performance is significantly better for the longer texts, but no significant difference is found for the two…

Results from user studies support the importance of genre and task in interface design and effectiveness of filtering of electronic news. Preliminary results from a study on effectiveness of predicting interesting Web pages based on the content of previously visited pages suggest a great similarity between reading electronic news and browsing the…

The purpose of this study was to organize menu items based on a user-process model and implement a new version of current software for enhancing usability of interfaces. A user-process model was developed, drawn from actual users' understanding of their goals and strategies to solve their information needs by using Dervin's Sense-Making Theory…

Results of two studies of user design preferences for link markers--entities that signify pathways to additional information in hypermedia information systems--indicate that, in general, link markers that employ color and bound objects are the most effective in communicating the existence and extent of links and are most preferred by users.…

Compares humanlike versus machinelike interactional styles of computer interfaces, testing hypotheses that evaluative feedback conveyed through a humanlike interface will have greater impact on individuals' self-appraisals. Reflected appraisals were more influenced by computer feedback than were self-appraisals. Humanlike and machinelike interface…

As computing and embedded systems become ubiquitous in our world, the importance of user interface design knowledge increases in our curriculum. Students of undergraduate information systems or computer science programs should possess some competence in this computing sub-discipline. However, many programs do not have the curricular space to host…

Using a participatory approach, 11 middle school children created paper prototypes for Web search engines. The prototypes were analyzed in relation to content-related spaces, specific spaces, general spaces, instruction spaces, and other spaces. Children's comments about the purposes of the interfaces were analyzed in terms of functionality and…

This article studies the performance of online catalog user queries involving personal names and recommends system improvements based on the results. It examines various personal name queries, the construction of bibliographic data, and subject headings. Testing done on an experimental online catalog found search tree designs to reduce system…

Investigates the effects of audio and text density on the achievement, time-in-program, and attitudes of 134 undergraduate students. Data concerning pre-existing computer skills/experience and demographic information were also collected. Findings have implications for the use of audio, text and graphics in the design of computer-based instruction.…

Some of the elements instructional designers must consider when designing screens for computer based instruction (CBI) include legibility, readability, and particularly font size. The purpose of this study was to determine which size font is most effective for CBI. Participants were 163 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an…

Describes the use of "Graphical" Jogthrough method for evaluating the user-interface design of the Network Simulator, an educational simulation program that enables users to virtually build a computer network, install hardware and software components, make necessary settings, and test the functionality of the network. Presents evaluation results…