Applying Experientialism to HCI Methods by Manuel Imaz A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Napier University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy SCHOOL OF COMPUTING NAPIER UNIVERSITY EDINBURGH, UK Committee in charge: Professor David Benyon, Chair Professor Chris Johnson Professor John Waterworth January 2001 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. David Benyon, who first discovered the possibility of a PhD thesis in the seeds of a MSc thesis done at the Open University, and also because he Smyth for supported me along the entire source-path-goal trajectory and to Michael Nardi for her his revision and valuable comments. I would also like to thank Bonnie John exchange of comments regarding my original ideas about Activity Theory, and Waterworth for his contributions regarding the role of metaphor in HCI design. Their contribution has been very important in the development of my own ideas. Table of Contents Table Contents I of ............................................................................................................ Table Figures; of .............................................................................................................6 Abstract ...........................................................................................................................8 Chapter 1 ................................................................. ...................................................9 Introduction..... ....................................................................... .9 1.1 Experientialism 10 ............................................................................................... 1.2 Relations Other Approaches 11 with ................................................................... Cognitive Psychology Cognitivism 12 1.2.1 or ..................................................... 1.2.2 Ecological Reality 14 .................................................................................... 1.23 Activity Theory 16 ........................................................................................ 1.2.4 Postmodernism 19 ......................................................................................... Experientialism Cognitive Foundations HCI 20 13 as of ......................................... I. 4 Thesis' Contributions 22 ...................................................... ........................... 1.4.1To show where main HCI and Software Engineering concepts come fro m 22 ........................................................................................................................... 1.4.2To language in HCI is figurative 23 show that most of the used .................. 1.43 To highlight the importance of blends in HCI and to promote its use in a disciplined way (in the form of patterns) in order to build computer-based signs 23 ........................................................................................................................... 1.4.4To show the limitations of Experientialism when applied to User Interface design 23 ................................................................................................................ 1.4.5To use stories as the raw material for constructing requirements............ 24 1.5 Thesis layout 24 ................................................................................................... Chapter 2 27 ....................................................................................................................... Cognitive Background 27 .............................................................................................. 2.1 Objectivist Cognition 27 ...................................................................................... 2.2 The does it did 28 objectivism not work as well as ............................................. 23 Experientialism 29 ............................................................................................... 23.1 Image Schemas 29 ........................................................................................ 23.2 Metaphors 32 ................................................................................................ 23.2.1 The 33 conduit metaphor ....................................................................... 233 Categorisation 35 .......................................................................................... 233.1 Basic-level 35 categories ....................................................................... 233.2 Categories defined by Schemas 36 ........................................................ 233.4 Summary 37 ........................................................................................... 2.4 Mental Spaces 37 ................................................................................................. 2.5 Blended Spaces (or Blends) 39 ............................................................................ 2.5.1 The Buddhist 42 monk story ......................................................................... 2.5.2 Maps blended 43 as conceptual spaces.......................... ............................ 2.6 Parabolic 43 projection ........................................................................................ 2.7 Perception integration fragments 44 as of multiple ............................................. 2.8 Situated Cognition 45 .......................................................................................... Chapter 3 47 ....................................................................................................................... Where from 47 modelling notation comes ..................................................................... 3.1 Using image 47 schema and metaphorical projection ......................................... 3.1.1 Entity-relationship 47 models ........................ .......................................... 3.1.2 State Transition Diagrams (Finite State Machines) 49 ................................. 2 Data Flow Diagrams 50 3.13 ................................................................................. Top-Down Approach 52 3.2 Problems with the ..........................................:.............. distance 53 3.2.1 Long cognitive ............................................................................ Basic-level 53 3.2.2 events..................................................................................... define basic-level 55 3.23 Scenarios used to events.............................................. 55 33 The design method vs. the exposition method ................................................ Methods 56 3.4 Object-Oriented ................................................................................ 3.4.1 Structural domain 56 ..................................................................................... blends 57 3.4.2 A design model with mental spacesand ....................................... Basic-level 59 3.43 categories............................................................................... Categories 60 3.5 and classes..................................................................................... Non-classical 60 35.1 categories ........................................................................... 35.2 How the concept of category may be used in HCI projects: The Flex Project 64 ................................................................................................................ Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................67 Figurative Language 67 Metaphors and ......................................................................... is literal 67 4.1 Metaphorical not ................................................................................ Metaphors 67 4.1.1 are expressive ......................................................................... Metaphors 68 4.1.2 are compact............................................................................. 4.13 Metaphors 68 are vivid .................................................................................. desktop interface 68 4.2 The metaphor ...................................................................... 4.2 Metaphor as illness 69 .....................................................................:....................70 43 Some other uses of the word metaphor ........................................................... Metaphors 72 4.4 Beyond Models and ....................................................................... 4.4.1 Metaphors lack 73 precision .......................................................................... 73 4.4.2 Metaphors and the practical programmer ................................................. 4.43 Prior knowledge 73 and metaphors ............................................................... 4.4.4 Visual formalisms 74 ..................................................................................... 43 Computers 74 as theatre ....................................................................................... 4.6 Can 77 we think without metaphor?..................................................................... 4.7 Metaphor different levels 77 at ............................................................................. 4.7.1 Organisational level 78 .................................................................................. 4.7.2 Workplace level 79 .......................................................................................