In Brief ...
- Important trends in lighting research include making light sources smaller, longer-lived, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. Future dividends could include the elimination of mercury from high intensity gas discharge lamps thanks to a better understanding of the physical-chemical processes in their interior and new electronic ballasts(more)
- User interface experts must be integrated into the development process from the start. They can interview and observe users, analyze products and conduct usability tests, gaining insights into the way they should design a user interface. Another important factor is the interactive work conducted by various disciplines, from psychologists to designers and from anthropologists to engineers(see User-Interface Design, Usability Lab), and designafairs)
- At Siemens Corporate Technology, about 40 employees in Munich, Princeton and Beijing are focusing on usability. They are working on all phases of user interfaces from concepts to prototypes to final implementation. They are conducting their efforts in close cooperation with usability experts from other units, like Medical Solutions and Automation & Drives(more)
- The future will create new challenges for usability. The operation of devices will become multimodal, meaning they can be controlled through voice, gestures, keyboards or remote controls. This will require development of new operating interfaces(see User-Interface Design, Usability Lab, and Interviews with Experts)
- The fun factor is playing a growing role in product acceptance and eye appeal. Personalized features are also becoming a major trend. Users can shape their interfaces to a limited extent to suit their individual tastes(siehe User-Interface Design and Virtual Beings)
- In the future, virtual characters will be able to perform routine tasks and intuitively direct the user. Starting in 2004, avatars will be included in new Siemens cell phones(more)
- Handicapped and older people have special needs that developers will increasingly have to take into consideration when they design products. Helpful devices that are easy to operate enable aging people to remain in their own homes(more)
PEOPLE
CT User Interface Design Center:
Stefan Schoen, CT IC 7
stefan.schoen@siemens.com
syngo and Soarian Software:
Claus Knapheide, SMED, Malvern, USA
claus.knapheide@siemens.com
ICM User Interface Design Center:
Lutz Groh, ICM
Lutz.groh@siemens.com
Living Characters:
Bernd Holz auf der Heide, ICM
Bernd.hadh@siemens.com
Language Dialogue Systems:
Dr. Hans-Ulrich Block, CT IC 5
hans-ulrich.block@siemens.com
Gesture Recognition:
Hans Röttger, CT IC 5
hans.roettger@siemens.com
Biometrics:
Dr. Bernhard Kämmerer, CT IC 5
bernhard.kaemmerer@siemens.com
Interface Design:
Axel Platz, CT IC 7
axel.platz@siemens.com
Claude Toussaint, designafairs
claude.toussaint@designafairs.com
Accessibility:
Klaus-Peter Wegge, C-LAB
wegge@c-lab.de
Prof. Dr. Michael Burmester
Hochschule der Medien, Stuttgart
burmester@hdm-stuttgart.de
The Embassi Project:
The Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics
(IGD), Rostock
Thomas Heider
theider@rostock.igd.fhg.de
LINKS
Society for Technical
Communication: www.stcsig.org/usability
U.S. Government usability website:
www.usability.gov
Usability Professionals Association:
www.upassoc.org
Accessibility at C-LAB:
www.c-lab.de/home/de/offers/services/ AccessibilityCompetenceCenter.html
The WebforALL association:
www.webforall.info
Computer help to heal and life:
chh.erlm.siemens.de
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lidwell, W. et al.:
Universal Principles of Design, 1000 Ways
to Influence Usability
Rockport Publishers (2003)
Nielsen, J.:
Usability Engineering.
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers (1994)
