Why Computer Interfaces Are Not Like Paintings: the user as a deliberate reader

Designers seeking to improve human-computer interfaces, particularly those concerned with programming environments, often assume that “graphics” will always result in an improvement over “text.” Such claims are especially difficult to assess, given that people have used the terms “text” and “graphics” in different and conflicting ways throughout the literature. This paper suggests a preliminary, consistent terminology for discussing “graphical interfaces” (including so called “visual programming systems”) to highlight some of the issues involved in using “graphics” in notations and interfaces. It discusses evidence from empirical studies showing that using “graphics” doesn't necessarily lead to improvement and may introduce its own problems. The paper concludes with a discussion of the successful integration of “graphics” and “text.” Annotaciq. Proektirov]iki, æelaie uluhwit; heloveko-mawinnye interfejsy, v osobennosti dlq programmnyx sred, hasto predpolaga[t, hto grafika vsegda privodit k uluhweni[ teksta. Takoe utverædenie osobenno trudno prinqt;, uhityvaq to obstoqtel;stvo, hto terminy tekst i grafika upotreblq[tsq v razlihnom i protivopoloænom smysle povs[du v literature. Dannaq stat;q predlagaet predvaritel;nu[ soglasovannu[ terminologi[ dlq obsuædeniq grafiheskix interfejsov (vkl[haq tak nazyvaemye vizual;nye sistemy programmirovaniq) dlq togo, htoby vysvetit; nekotorye iz problem, zakl[hennyx v ispol;zovanii grafiki v oboznaheniqx i v interfejsax. Na baze opytnyx zakl[henij obsuædaetsq i pokazyvaetsq ohevidnost; togo fakta, hto grafika ne obqzatel;no vedet k uluhweni[ interfejsa i moæet vnesti svoi sobstvennye problemy. Stat;q zakanhivaetsq obsuædeniem udahnogo varianta integracii grafiki i teksta.