Summary:
This paper describes a sketch-based system for proofreading documents. The authors focus on creating a natural interface that does not force the user to use specific gestures, type to insert words, or click between gestures. They implement a set of gestures to represent some of the simpler actions based on proofreading conventions. They also allow the operations replace, delete, and insert to be specified using any symbol, where the symbol is drawn at the point in the text to be affected and the changes are written in the margin accompanied by the same symbol. Strokes are marked as connected if they are close enough together, and the page is divided into sections to help limit the context that needs to be considered. They give an extensive formal description of their symbol recognition processes. They included a commercial handwriting recognizer. They performed a user study with 9 proofreaders who filled out 33 documents and found that 90.1% of the annotations were correctly recognized, and they believe a method for discrimination between symbols and words would improve on this.
Discussion:
I like the idea of allowing the user to create her own symbols, especially applying to a local context of a page. I somewhat remember a paper we read in IUI dealing with annotations and highlighting, and I think it could be useful to combine the ideas and get a system that lets you define symbols to indicate level of importance or relation to a particular topic, and then retrieve all pieces of highlighted/annotated material marked with that symbol (in some classes, for example, I put stars in my notes next to things that I expect may be on an exam, or make other symbols for other meanings.)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
A Study of Usability of Sketching Tools Aimed At Supporting Prescriptive Sketches (Company, Contero, Naya, Aleixos)
Summary:
This paper describes tools designed for dealing with prescriptive sketches, which are sketches used to give instructions to a draftsman in charge of creating a final drawing using CAD (different from thinking sketches that go with brainstorming and talking sketches that help when discussing design with a group). The authors argue that draftsmen often simply tidy up a prescriptive sketch, which already contains all relevant information, and that a sufficiently usable computer system with good recognition could do the same thing. They did a pilot user study to compare paper-and-pencil against 2D CAD, as well as using MS Paint and a tablet to draw. Eight teachers and 22 students in engineering design and CAD participated. They were to reproduce four sample sketches in each of the mediums, and then they filled out a questionnaire to give an idea of usability. Respondents felt that tablet was more complex than hand, but none were familiar with tablet PCs, and hand drawings produced had similar quality to tablet drawings. Some disliked tablet drawings because of poor calibration of the pen. Some commented that drawing straight lines was easier with the mouse and curves were easier with the pen.
Discussion:
This paper gives a good starting point for more thorough studies on CAD, prescriptive sketching, and usability of a tablet for sketching in general -- the results are not strong enough on their own to convince people that sketch recognition for their purpose is definitely the way to go, but it might convince people that it's worth considering and worth doing more studies about, and by presenting this study and being forthright about things they could have done better, they provide a useful reference for anyone looking to study the matter further.
I think the mouse for straight lines and pen for curves preference is interesting. Is there a good way to make use of people being familiar with drawing straight lines with a mouse when creating pen-based applications? Will people want their lines to be automatically straightened all the time? (probably not, when they are trying to create free, natural sketches.) Would people like or hate being able to quickly sketch a rough drawing, then select a new tool in the interface to trace over lines that they want to be straightened? I'm not sure this is a big improvement on automatic recognition, or maybe graying out the existing drawing and letting the user re-draw a sketch with immediate recognition of components over their free, rough, "thinking" drawings.
This paper describes tools designed for dealing with prescriptive sketches, which are sketches used to give instructions to a draftsman in charge of creating a final drawing using CAD (different from thinking sketches that go with brainstorming and talking sketches that help when discussing design with a group). The authors argue that draftsmen often simply tidy up a prescriptive sketch, which already contains all relevant information, and that a sufficiently usable computer system with good recognition could do the same thing. They did a pilot user study to compare paper-and-pencil against 2D CAD, as well as using MS Paint and a tablet to draw. Eight teachers and 22 students in engineering design and CAD participated. They were to reproduce four sample sketches in each of the mediums, and then they filled out a questionnaire to give an idea of usability. Respondents felt that tablet was more complex than hand, but none were familiar with tablet PCs, and hand drawings produced had similar quality to tablet drawings. Some disliked tablet drawings because of poor calibration of the pen. Some commented that drawing straight lines was easier with the mouse and curves were easier with the pen.
Discussion:
This paper gives a good starting point for more thorough studies on CAD, prescriptive sketching, and usability of a tablet for sketching in general -- the results are not strong enough on their own to convince people that sketch recognition for their purpose is definitely the way to go, but it might convince people that it's worth considering and worth doing more studies about, and by presenting this study and being forthright about things they could have done better, they provide a useful reference for anyone looking to study the matter further.
I think the mouse for straight lines and pen for curves preference is interesting. Is there a good way to make use of people being familiar with drawing straight lines with a mouse when creating pen-based applications? Will people want their lines to be automatically straightened all the time? (probably not, when they are trying to create free, natural sketches.) Would people like or hate being able to quickly sketch a rough drawing, then select a new tool in the interface to trace over lines that they want to be straightened? I'm not sure this is a big improvement on automatic recognition, or maybe graying out the existing drawing and letting the user re-draw a sketch with immediate recognition of components over their free, rough, "thinking" drawings.
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