AskJef: Integration of Case-Based and Multimedia Technologies for Interface Design Support

AskJef is a prototype AI system that helps software engineers in designing human-machine interfaces. It provides a memory of interface design examples, primitive domain objects, and design principles, guidelines, errors and stories. The design examples are represented graphically and decomposed temporally. The different types of knowledge are cross-indexed to enable the designer to navigate through the system’s memory. AskJef helps software engineers in (1) understanding interface design problems by illustrating and explaining solutions to similar examples, and (2) comprehending the domain of interface design by illustrating and explaining the use of design guidelines. It uses text, graphics, animation and voice to present relevant information to the designer. 1 Motivations and Goals That we need better human interfaces is axiomatic among designers. The ease of using an artifact, and of learning how to use it, depends in large part on the interface to the artifact. In the words of Jef Raskin, “the interface is the product.”1 Unfortunately, as Norman (1988) has argued, the interfaces to even many everyday artifacts leave much to be desired. Perhaps because software engineering is a relatively young discipline, many software interfaces need improvement. By software interfaces, we mean not just interfaces to computers, but, more generally, human interfaces to all information-processing machines including cash registers and automatic teller machines. These interfaces typically are designed by software engineers who have little or no formal training in interface design. In addition, interface design generally does not receive enough time or attention in most software In the Proceedings of the Second International Conference on AI in Design, J.S.Gero (editor), AID’92, pp. 457-475. Jef Raskin, a leading authority in interface design, was the domain expert on our project. The AskJef system is named after him.