Mode1-based design and evaluation of interactive applications / Fabio Paterna. p. cm. -(Applied computing) Inc1udes bibliographical references.

Abstract. We think that over the next few years, the goal of interactive systems and services will evolve from just making systems easy to use (even though that goal has not yet been completely achieved) to making systems that are easy to develop by end users. By now, most people have become familiar with the basic functionality and interfaces of computers, but they are not able to manage any programming language. Therefore, they cannot develop new applications or modify current ones according to their needs.In order to address such challenges it is necessary a new paradigm, based on a multidisciplinary approach involving several types of expertise, such as software engineering, human-computer interaction, CSCW, which are now rather fragmented and with little interaction. The resulting methods and tools can provide results useful across many application domains, such as ERP, multi-device services (accessible through both mobile and stationary devices), and professional applications.Key words. tailorability, end user programming, flexibility, usabilityWe think that over the next few years, the goal of human-computer interaction (HCI) will evolve from just making systems easy to use (even though that goal has not yet been completely achieved) to making systems that are easy to develop. By now, most people have become familiar with the basic functionality and interfaces of computers. However, developing new or modified applications that effectively support users' goals still requires considerable expertise in programming that cannot be expected from most people. Thus, one fundamental challenge for the coming years is to develop environments that allow users who do not have background in programming to develop or modify their own applications, with the ultimate aim of empowering people to flexibly employ advanced information and communication technologies.Current trends in professional life, education, and also in leisure time are characterized by increasing change and diversity: changing work and business practices, individual qualifications and preferences, or changes in the dynamic environments in which organizations and individuals act. The diversity concerns people with different skills, knowledge, cultural background, and cognitive or physiological abilities, as well Henry Lieberman et al. (eds.), End User Development, 1-8. C 2006 Springer.

In this paper we discuss a notation to describe task models, which can specify a wide range of temporal relationships among ta~ks. It is a compact and graphical notation, immediate both to use and understand. Its logical structure and the related automatic tool make it suitable for designing even large sized applications.KEYWORDS Task models, formal notations, model-based user interface design, tools for design.

AbstractÐWhile task modeling and task-based design are entering into current practice in the design of interactive software applications, there is still a lack of tools supporting the development and analysis of task models. Such tools should provide developers with ways to represent tasks, including their attributes and objects and their temporal and semantic relationships, to easily create, analyze, and modify such representations and to simulate their dynamic behavior. In this paper, we present a tool, CTTE, that provides thorough support for developing and analyzing task models of cooperative applications, which can then be used to improve the design and evaluation of interactive software applications. We discuss how we have designed this environment and report on trials of its use.Index TermsÐTask models, models for interactive software systems, automatic tools for human-computer interaction, user interfaces.