Design Principles for Comprehensive Systems

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Modern high-function computer systems are difficult to master and use. This problem is attacked in an interdisciplinary project that combines the development of innovative systems with a theor- etical investigation of the cognitive processes involved in com- puter use. The goal is to develop design principles for systems that are radically easier to understand, and hence to use, than any now in existence. Rooted in a comprehension-centered theory of human-computer interaction, the principles are to be embodied in concrete applications, which will serve as testbeds for both principles and the theory they reflect. This project promises a fundamental contribution to the art and science of augmenting human intellectual productivity. The degree to which it integrates exploratory system design with fundamental research on user-system interaction is unique. If successful, it could yield theoretical results of unprecedented explanatory power and design principles of wide applicabilty to interactive systems.