Models and Theories in Human-Computer Interaction/dCog : A foundation for interface evaluation ?

Distributed Cognition provides a systemic perspective to look into micro interactions. The ability of dCog to address both physical and social aspects provides a power to gain insights into micro interactions.

Designer of a complex system faces challenges in evaluating and tracing interfaces & interactions. Modelling those paths is essential for complex system designer to evaluate, manage and maintain interfaces. Wright Fields and Harrison, proposed a way to model interaction using dCog (Reference 1). They state that "DC Research identifies resources for action as central to the interaction between people and technologies, but it stops short of providing a definition of such resources at a level that could be used to analyze interaction."

Wright Fields and Harrison, proposes an information model that comprises of two major structure. Information Structures and Interaction Strategies. Information structure focuses on abstract information and representational models. Interaction strategies define various ways with which users can interact with the information. In this paper the authors has used this model to create different interfaces which results in varying performances.

This foundation provides a robust way to model and evaluate design artifacts, for a give set of interactions. This model can be aptly named to be skeleton of an interaction model. The skeleton provides more advanced works to be conducted.

For instance, such a model will be helpful in designing, evaluating adaptive interfaces. In another example applying dCog model in pervasive computing environments will enable designers to delivery Context sensitive and appropriate experiences.

Reference 1: ANALYSING HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION AS DISTRIBUTED COGNITION: THE RESOURCES MODEL Peter Wright, Bob Fields, Michael Harrison http://e-centre.mdx.ac.uk/staffpages/bobf/papers/res-hci.pdf