Interacting with Future Computers

Many problems that have to be solved in present day humancomputer interfaces arise from technology limitations, quite apart from those arising from lack of appropriate knowledge. Some of the progress we see in the most recently developed interfaces has occurred simply because bit-mapped screens, large memories, colour, compute-power appropriate to local intelligence, and the like, have all become inexpensive at the same time as rising human costs have finally been appreciated, and deprecated, by those who pay the bills. The new technical possibilities, and the now obvious economic advantages of providing good interactive computer support to enhance human productivity in all areas of endeavour has created tremendous pressure to improve the human-computer interface. This pressure, in turn, has dramatically high lighted our lack of fundamental knowledge and methodologies concerning interactive systems design, human problem solving, interaction techniques, dialogue prototyping and management, and system evaluation. The design of human computer interfaces is still more of an art than a science. Furthermore, the knowledge and methodologies that do exist often turn out to fall short of what is needed to match computer methods or to serve as a basis for detailed