Designing Interface Alternatives with Parallel Exploration and Runtime Tuning

Simultaneous externalization of design alternatives through multiple prototypes enables designers to see choices in context and facilitates comparative reasoning and discussion. This paper introduces two techniques for interactively manipulating multiple software alternatives. First, this work demonstrates a novel environment for constructing multiple design alternatives through (selectively) parallel editing and execution. Second, this environment’s architecture introduces a mechanism for interactively “tuning” interface parameters at runtime. These ideas are embodied in Juxtapose, a design environment and runtime interface for developing GUIs written in ActionScript. Juxtapose supports use of an actuated physical mixing board for interactively tuning parameters. The addition of a spatiallymultiplexed controller leverages prehensile manipulation skills — enabling the user’s visual attention to focus on the resulting design; and leaving traditional keyboard and mouse to control the application under development. We report on exploratory studies and discuss feedback from professional design consultants.