EZD’s Advanced User Interface group employs user centered approaches to push the state of the art in human computer interaction for information seeking.

We are building visually rich, highly interactive, and multiperson interfaces to support the extended information gathering and organizing tasks, not just the traditional “one-shot query.”

Visual Querying of Digital Library Information

• This research prototype system explores a visually rich interface for querying and navigation in a personal workspace containing digital library information. In particular, it investigates the synergy between querying and navigation. This is demonstrated by allowing any object to be used to query any set of objects anywhere in the workspace, by retaining the structure while displaying query results to allow navigation, and by allowing a smooth transition between the two tasks.
• Sample Task Scenario: A university professor is preparing an astronomy lecture. She has written an outline and is looking for images to illustrate a point. She uses words from her outline to query the information space, then continues with her lecture, alternating between authoring, browsing and navigating as appropriate.

Collaborative Visual Information Gathering

This research prototype interface explores social aspects of information gathering. In particular, it explores an environment where geographically dispersed group can move smoothly between synchronous group or asynchronous sub-group or individual interactions. The sub-groups can be formed dynamically. Shareable artifacts can be created by the individual, sub-groups, or the group as a whole. The emphasis here is on visual information.

Sample Task Scenario: A group of entrepreneurs is studying the similarities and differences between different approaches in a quality label task. At present they are examining visual differences in the communication to clients. Two of the people are in New Mexico-one at home, one at work. A third is at work in Italy. They have each assumed responsibilities for a couple of samples, and are now meeting electronically to assemble their results.