7 Designing the Dialogue: Layout and Communication

From Abstraction to Expression

The essential models introduced in the previous three chapters are not ends in themselves. The role, task, and content models are the maps that guide designers toward a sound user interface design closely tied to the work to be supported. In this and succeeding chapters, we will begin to examine the specifics of how to transform the content model into an implementation model, a prototype for the actual system specifying the layout of the user interface and defining the interaction between user and system.

In order to develop an implementation model from the essential models, two kinds of questions must be answered. First, the designer must decide how each abstract ...

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