Computer technology has made amazing advances in the past few decades; however, the software documentation of today still looks strikingly similar to the software documentation used 30 years ago. If this continues into the 21st century, more and more software developers could be using 20th-century-style documentation to solve 21st-century problems with 21st-century technologies. Is 20th-century-style documentation up to the challenge? How can that be measured? This paper seeks to answer those questions by developing a heuristic to identify whether the documentation set for an application programming interface (API) contains the key elements of API reference documentation that help software developers learn an API. The resulting heuristic was tested on a collection of software documentation that was chosen to provide a diverse set of examples with which to validate the heuristic. In the course of testing the heuristic, interesting patterns in the API documentation were observed. For example, twenty-five percent of the documentation sets studied did not have any overview information, which, according to studies, is one of the most basic elements an API documentation set needs to help software developers learn to use the API. The heuristic produced by this research can be used to evaluate large sets of API documentation, track trends in API documentation, and facilitate additional research.
{"title":"Development and application of a heuristic to assess trends in API documentation","authors":"Robert B. Watson","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379112","url":null,"abstract":"Computer technology has made amazing advances in the past few decades; however, the software documentation of today still looks strikingly similar to the software documentation used 30 years ago. If this continues into the 21st century, more and more software developers could be using 20th-century-style documentation to solve 21st-century problems with 21st-century technologies. Is 20th-century-style documentation up to the challenge? How can that be measured? This paper seeks to answer those questions by developing a heuristic to identify whether the documentation set for an application programming interface (API) contains the key elements of API reference documentation that help software developers learn an API. The resulting heuristic was tested on a collection of software documentation that was chosen to provide a diverse set of examples with which to validate the heuristic. In the course of testing the heuristic, interesting patterns in the API documentation were observed. For example, twenty-five percent of the documentation sets studied did not have any overview information, which, according to studies, is one of the most basic elements an API documentation set needs to help software developers learn to use the API. The heuristic produced by this research can be used to evaluate large sets of API documentation, track trends in API documentation, and facilitate additional research.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130357622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The ACT testing service had suspicions that their 16-page booklet, "Using Your ACT Results" was not well suited to today's high-school seniors. They enlisted the Seattle-based consultancy Blink Interactive to conduct user research with high school students in three cities. It was determined that (1) the students resisted the text-intensive design and that (2) there were nuggets of information that the high-school students would have found valuable, if they had found them. The study prompted a redesign in which expository text was in large part replaced by infographics and a narrative focused around the experience of an individual student. This project recommends ways in which information will need to be communicated to future generations of young readers.
{"title":"Applying user research, usability testing and visual design techniques to a printed publication targeted at teenagers","authors":"Joe Welinske","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379091","url":null,"abstract":"The ACT testing service had suspicions that their 16-page booklet, \"Using Your ACT Results\" was not well suited to today's high-school seniors. They enlisted the Seattle-based consultancy Blink Interactive to conduct user research with high school students in three cities. It was determined that (1) the students resisted the text-intensive design and that (2) there were nuggets of information that the high-school students would have found valuable, if they had found them. The study prompted a redesign in which expository text was in large part replaced by infographics and a narrative focused around the experience of an individual student. This project recommends ways in which information will need to be communicated to future generations of young readers.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134111742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Evia, Michael Stewart, T. Lockridge, S. Scerbo, Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones
TechCommix is an XML grammar and GUI that allows technical communicators to build comics based on the principles of structured authoring. TechCommix XML uses elements of two markup languages--ComicsML and DITA--the combination of which offers a means of tagging elements connected to a comics narrative (such as speech, action, narration) and to structured technical documentation (such as context, step, example). The resulting language allows a technical writer to differentiate between instructional and entertainment content, facilitating content analysis and reuse. Additionally, the TechCommix GUI provides assisted means of building web comics from DITA input. In this online environment, a technical writer can transform an XML file into an HTML deliverable with multiple presentation options--extending usability and accessibility beyond the current standard of image-based web comics. Future work will examine the efficacy of these comics in communicating procedural information.
{"title":"Structured authoring meets technical comics in techcommix","authors":"C. Evia, Michael Stewart, T. Lockridge, S. Scerbo, Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379123","url":null,"abstract":"TechCommix is an XML grammar and GUI that allows technical communicators to build comics based on the principles of structured authoring. TechCommix XML uses elements of two markup languages--ComicsML and DITA--the combination of which offers a means of tagging elements connected to a comics narrative (such as speech, action, narration) and to structured technical documentation (such as context, step, example). The resulting language allows a technical writer to differentiate between instructional and entertainment content, facilitating content analysis and reuse. Additionally, the TechCommix GUI provides assisted means of building web comics from DITA input. In this online environment, a technical writer can transform an XML file into an HTML deliverable with multiple presentation options--extending usability and accessibility beyond the current standard of image-based web comics. Future work will examine the efficacy of these comics in communicating procedural information.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134209890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
During the initial software specification phase, requirement document, use cases description and interface prototypes can be generated as a way to aid in the construction of system data. The consistency among these documents is a quality attribute which must be emphasized at this phase of the software development process. The QualiCES method is presented herein; it allows assessing the consistency among these software documents, and is supported by a checklist and by a consistency metrics developed to this end. As benefits, there is defect detection and a software quality warranty from the beginning of software development. The method was executed in a case study. Based on the results, the viability for applying the method can be verified, as well as the proposal innovation degree.
{"title":"QualiCES: a method for verifying the consistency among documents of the engineering phase","authors":"Luã Marcelo Muriana, Cristiano Maciel, F. Mendes","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379077","url":null,"abstract":"During the initial software specification phase, requirement document, use cases description and interface prototypes can be generated as a way to aid in the construction of system data. The consistency among these documents is a quality attribute which must be emphasized at this phase of the software development process. The QualiCES method is presented herein; it allows assessing the consistency among these software documents, and is supported by a checklist and by a consistency metrics developed to this end. As benefits, there is defect detection and a software quality warranty from the beginning of software development. The method was executed in a case study. Based on the results, the viability for applying the method can be verified, as well as the proposal innovation degree.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127757744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Koh, R. Peiris, Kening Zhu, Doros Polydorou, R. Nakatsu
In this paper we analyze the works of the Keio-NUS CUTE Center at the National University of Singapore in order to uncover the dispositions of "analogness" and "digitalness" in regards to the relationship between users and interfaces. By comparing concepts of embodiment from a philosophical perspective, paired with the computer science treatment of analog and digital data, we derive a contingent definition for analog-like and digital-like interaction. With case studies as reference, we outline a continuum to describe types of interfaces based on these dispositions, which could then be further analyzed using characteristics for designing analog-like, digital-like or hybrid-like interactive systems. Finally, we propose a new methodology for designing novel interactive systems that are analog in nature, called interactive analog media (IAM).
{"title":"Uncovering analogness and digitalness in interactive media","authors":"J. Koh, R. Peiris, Kening Zhu, Doros Polydorou, R. Nakatsu","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379103","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper we analyze the works of the Keio-NUS CUTE Center at the National University of Singapore in order to uncover the dispositions of \"analogness\" and \"digitalness\" in regards to the relationship between users and interfaces. By comparing concepts of embodiment from a philosophical perspective, paired with the computer science treatment of analog and digital data, we derive a contingent definition for analog-like and digital-like interaction. With case studies as reference, we outline a continuum to describe types of interfaces based on these dispositions, which could then be further analyzed using characteristics for designing analog-like, digital-like or hybrid-like interactive systems. Finally, we propose a new methodology for designing novel interactive systems that are analog in nature, called interactive analog media (IAM).","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128737871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cross-cultural group chat is an important option for supporting communication in both industry and education settings. However, studies of such interactions have reported persistent communication problems that appear to be due to mismatches in non-native and native speakers' language proficiency. With this problem in mind, we have been exploring a conceptual design called Instant Annotation. Our design concept supports a kind of threading in chat using annotation, thus offering para-communication support in cross-cultural group chat. As part of this design investigation, we studied native and non-native speakers in a group chat activity, shared the new design concept, and interviewed users to gather their feedback about the Instant Annotation concept. The results pointed to three different design use cases and led us to envision four general design features that we will explore in our ongoing work. We discuss the cross-cultural communication problem, findings from the interview study, the current design and future directions.
{"title":"Instant annotation: early design experiences in supporting cross-cultural group chat","authors":"Na Li, M. Rosson","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379088","url":null,"abstract":"Cross-cultural group chat is an important option for supporting communication in both industry and education settings. However, studies of such interactions have reported persistent communication problems that appear to be due to mismatches in non-native and native speakers' language proficiency. With this problem in mind, we have been exploring a conceptual design called Instant Annotation. Our design concept supports a kind of threading in chat using annotation, thus offering para-communication support in cross-cultural group chat. As part of this design investigation, we studied native and non-native speakers in a group chat activity, shared the new design concept, and interviewed users to gather their feedback about the Instant Annotation concept. The results pointed to three different design use cases and led us to envision four general design features that we will explore in our ongoing work. We discuss the cross-cultural communication problem, findings from the interview study, the current design and future directions.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125385395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this paper, we describe our experience hosting an "unconference" as a student chapter of ACM SIGDOC. This paper can serve as a starting point for other groups wanting to try this non-traditional approach to sharing information in a participant-driven event or meeting. We explain the unconference idea, our planning stages, technology we used, implementation and delivery, lessons learned, and plans for the future. A checklist at the end of the paper details the steps to running a successful unconference.
{"title":"Hosting an ACM SIGDOC unconference","authors":"S. E. Warren, Jennifer Riehle","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379121","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we describe our experience hosting an \"unconference\" as a student chapter of ACM SIGDOC. This paper can serve as a starting point for other groups wanting to try this non-traditional approach to sharing information in a participant-driven event or meeting. We explain the unconference idea, our planning stages, technology we used, implementation and delivery, lessons learned, and plans for the future. A checklist at the end of the paper details the steps to running a successful unconference.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115033649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper introduces the peer-supported design process undertaken in the creation of a novel online knowledge sharing application called the Haystack Exchange. Along with seven undergrad and graduate students involved in a course research group, the authors of this paper presented a fully functional online prototype of an application designed to connect those seeking knowledge work with those willing to do that work, creating an outlet for knowledge workers to share and contribute effort. Students were engaged as active co-designers in the system, examining existing applications online offering similar services, discussing relevant research in building online communities, and ultimately re-designing the system to make it context-appropriate for different deployment scenarios. This paper reports on the details of this unique design process, discussing its merits, implications, and the prototypes that resulted. The paper concludes with a discussion of the peer design process as an instructional approach that promotes student engagement.
{"title":"Sharing time: engaging students as co-designers in the creation of an online knowledge sharing application","authors":"Michael Gilbert, M. Zachry","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379080","url":null,"abstract":"This paper introduces the peer-supported design process undertaken in the creation of a novel online knowledge sharing application called the Haystack Exchange. Along with seven undergrad and graduate students involved in a course research group, the authors of this paper presented a fully functional online prototype of an application designed to connect those seeking knowledge work with those willing to do that work, creating an outlet for knowledge workers to share and contribute effort. Students were engaged as active co-designers in the system, examining existing applications online offering similar services, discussing relevant research in building online communities, and ultimately re-designing the system to make it context-appropriate for different deployment scenarios. This paper reports on the details of this unique design process, discussing its merits, implications, and the prototypes that resulted. The paper concludes with a discussion of the peer design process as an instructional approach that promotes student engagement.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132132281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This experience report presents the results of a preliminary user study of the accessibility and usability of a set of automatic teller machines (ATMs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the voice directions for operating the machine for their accuracy, completeness, and functionality. A salient feature of the study was that the testing was conducted by a blind user with training in Information Design, Technical Communication, and Accessibility. The qualitative data gathered in this study suggests that the accessibility and usability in the present time voice-retrofitted ATM systems leaves much to desire. In fact, this researcher failed to accomplish most of the planned banking tasks on the four ATM systems tested in this study. The researcher recommends that disabled users must be engaged in the initial stages of designing such support systems so that the accessibility features could be built into the machine interface and less than satisfactory retrofits could be avoided.
{"title":"How accessible are the voice-guided automatic teller machines for the visually impaired?","authors":"Sushil K. Oswal","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379071","url":null,"abstract":"This experience report presents the results of a preliminary user study of the accessibility and usability of a set of automatic teller machines (ATMs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the voice directions for operating the machine for their accuracy, completeness, and functionality. A salient feature of the study was that the testing was conducted by a blind user with training in Information Design, Technical Communication, and Accessibility. The qualitative data gathered in this study suggests that the accessibility and usability in the present time voice-retrofitted ATM systems leaves much to desire. In fact, this researcher failed to accomplish most of the planned banking tasks on the four ATM systems tested in this study. The researcher recommends that disabled users must be engaged in the initial stages of designing such support systems so that the accessibility features could be built into the machine interface and less than satisfactory retrofits could be avoided.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132496975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Many people--especially knowledge workers--experience information overload, lack sufficient time to read, and therefore choose to read selectively within texts. QuikScan Views is a new Web-based reading environment that provides extensive support for selective reading. It is an enhancement of QuikScan, an empirically validated document format that employs a multiple summary approach to facilitate selective reading, enable quick access to specific ideas in the body of the document, and improve text recall. QuikScan Views provides a hyperlinked table of contents for global navigation, displays QuikScan summaries in a scrolling window (as well as within the body of the document), and adds an extra level of summarization by means of a hyperlinked structured abstract. A QuikScan Views document gives the reader choices of pathways through the document corresponding to the time the reader wishes to invest and the reader's desire to increase their recall of the document.
{"title":"Designing for selective reading with QuikScan views","authors":"D. Farkas","doi":"10.1145/2379057.2379115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2379057.2379115","url":null,"abstract":"Many people--especially knowledge workers--experience information overload, lack sufficient time to read, and therefore choose to read selectively within texts. QuikScan Views is a new Web-based reading environment that provides extensive support for selective reading. It is an enhancement of QuikScan, an empirically validated document format that employs a multiple summary approach to facilitate selective reading, enable quick access to specific ideas in the body of the document, and improve text recall. QuikScan Views provides a hyperlinked table of contents for global navigation, displays QuikScan summaries in a scrolling window (as well as within the body of the document), and adds an extra level of summarization by means of a hyperlinked structured abstract. A QuikScan Views document gives the reader choices of pathways through the document corresponding to the time the reader wishes to invest and the reader's desire to increase their recall of the document.","PeriodicalId":447848,"journal":{"name":"ACM International Conference on Design of Communication","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130141224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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