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.