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  • Book
  • © 2010

Multimodal Usability

  • First to address interactive systems development and evaluation for usability from a thoroughly multimodal perspective
  • First to argue that the field of human-computer interaction needs complete re-orientation to take into account the fact that GUI-based systems merely represent a single modality combination among thousands of others
  • Presents a thorough introduction to modalities and multimodality
  • The authors have a 16 year track record of usability-oriented research and development of novel, non-GUI-based systems, multimodal natural interactive systems, and modality theory

Part of the book series: Human–Computer Interaction Series (HCIS)

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Table of contents (18 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
  2. Structure, Usability, Readership

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 1-19
  3. Intermezzo 1: Three Multimodal Cases

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 21-23
  4. Creating a Model of Use

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 25-65
  5. Modalities and Devices

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 67-111
  6. Intermezzo 2: Status on Cases and Next Steps

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 113-119
  7. Common Approaches, Methods, Planning

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 121-147
  8. Intermezzo 3: Case Usability Workplan, Design

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 149-159
  9. Question-Answering

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 161-195
  10. Meetings with Discussion

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 197-208
  11. Observation of Users

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 209-231
  12. Imagination

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 233-262
  13. Interaction with the System

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 263-286
  14. Lab Sessions with Subjects

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 287-308
  15. Intermezzo 4: Case Usability Method Plan

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 309-314
  16. Data Handling

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 315-349
  17. Usability Data Analysis and Evaluation

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 351-385
  18. Intermezzo 5: Sudoku Usability Evaluation

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 387-412
  19. Multimodal Usability: Conclusions and Future Work

    • Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær
    Pages 413-419
  20. Back Matter

    Pages 421-431

About this book

This preface tells the story of how Multimodal Usability responds to a special challenge. Chapter 1 describes the goals and structure of this book. The idea of describing how to make multimodal computer systems usable arose in the European Network of Excellence SIMILAR – “Taskforce for cre- ing human-machine interfaces SIMILAR to human-human communication”, 2003– 2007, www. similar. cc. SIMILAR brought together people from multimodal signal processing and usability with the aim of creating enabling technologies for new kinds of multimodal systems and demonstrating results in research prototypes. Most of our colleagues in the network were, in fact, busy extracting features and guring out how to demonstrate progress in working interactive systems, while claiming not to have too much of a notion of usability in system development and evaluation. It was proposed that the authors support the usability of the many multimodal pro- types underway by researching and presenting a methodology for building usable multimodal systems. We accepted the challenge, rst and foremost, no doubt, because the formidable team spirit in SIMILAR could make people accept outrageous things. Second, h- ing worked for nearly two decades on making multimodal systems usable, we were curious – curious at the opportunity to try to understand what happens to traditional usability work, that is, work in human–computer interaction centred around tra- tional graphical user interfaces (GUIs), when systems become as multimodal and as advanced in other ways as those we build in research today.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gentofte, Denmark

    Niels Ole Bernsen, Laila Dybkjær

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access