Media / Modalities Allocation in Intelligent Multimedia User Interfaces: Towards a Theory of Media and Modalities

A methodology for the development of a Theory of Media and Modaliti es is proposed, which aims to contribute towards the development of Intelli gent Multimedia User Interfaces by providing a body of knowledge concerning the optimal integration of media and modaliti es. The methodology follows a bottom-up approach, can be tailored to the requirements of any specific application, and addresses several fundamental aspects of User-Computer Interaction, such as interface metaphors, interaction techniques and devices. The results produced by the methodology for two example applications are discussed and evaluated.