Graphical abstract help

re the use of abstracted screenshots as part of a new help interface. Graphstract, an implementation of a graphical help system, extends the ideas of textually oriented Minimal Manuals to the use of screenshots, allowing multiple small graphical elements to be shown in a limited space. This allows a user to get an overview of a complex sequential task as a whole. The ideas have been developed by three iterations of prototyping and evaluation. A user study shows that Graphstract helps users perform tasks faster on some but not all tasks. Due to their graphical nature, it is possible to construct Graphstracts automatically from pre-recorded interactions. A second study shows that automated capture and replay is a low-cost method for authoring Graphstracts, and the resultant help is as understandable as manually constructed help. ACM Classification Keywords H.5.2. Information interfaces and presentation General Terms: Design, Documentation, Human Factors, Experimentation Author Keywords ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: CHINZ
• Authors: Jeff Huang, Bo Lu, Michael B. Twidale
• Keywords: CHINZ 2005, Graphical Help System, Human Computer Interaction, Minimal Manuals, Small Graphical Elements