User Interface Projects in the Stanford Digital Library

Too often the power of a search engine goes untested because users don't know how to exploit the advanced (or even basic) features. The use of a browser front-end has eased platform independent rapid prototyping, allowing a wide variety of services such as information clustering, annotating, and re-distributing via the WWW. One project even uses a web application to help create web applications! But the web does have drawbacks, such as being largely inaccessible to blind users (hear our audio interface!) and limiting the types of possible interaction. Therefore, our DLITE interface uses a direct manipulation metaphor of iconic representations, rathering than relying on CGI forms.

SenseMaker

SenseMaker helps users iteratively reformulate their information needs through multi-dimensional organizing and active gathering of search results.

" SenseMaker: An Information-Exploration Interface Supporting the Contextual Evolution of a User's Interests"

• Michelle Q Wang Baldonado

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DLITE: A Digital Library Interface

A direct manipulation user interface designed to support user tasks, to smoothly integrate the results of many services, to handle services of widely-varying time scales, to be extensible, and to support sharing and reuse.

"The Digital Library Integrated Task Environment (DLITE)"

• Steve Cousins

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Grassroots

Groupware for information finding, combines mail, news, and web in a single environment with distribution lists

" Grassroots: A System Providing a Uniform Framework for Communicating, Structuring, Sharing Information, and Organizing People"

• Kenichi Kamiya
• Martin Röscheisen

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ComMentor

Third-Party Annotations on web pages provide for ways to share information, rate content, and keep notes

"A Platform for Third-Party Value-Added Information Providers: Architecture, Protocols, and Usage Examples"

• Martin Röscheisen
• Christian Mogensen
• Terry Winograd

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Audio Interfaces to HyperText

The structure of a document is captured in HTML/SGML tags which most browsers map to visual display characteristics. We are seeking ways in which this structural information can be conveyed in audio format for blind users or users connecting via telephone.

Lessons from Developing Audio HTML Interfaces

• Frankie James
• Prof. Terry Winograd

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WebWriter

WebWriter is a direct manipulation Web page editor that allows users to create new web pages, including advanced features such as tables, without knowing HTML or CGI.

"WebWriter: A Browser-Based Editor for Constructing Web Applications"

• Arturo Crespo

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RManage/FIRM

Interoperable rights management is one of the service layers that the current Internet is still lacking. FIRM defines a platform for "smart contracts" that is based on a computational reification of contract law; it is realized as part of a novel, network-centric architecture for managing control information that generalizes previous models centered around clients or servers.

"A Network-Centric Design for Relationship-based Rights Management"

• Martin Röscheisen
• Prof. Terry Winograd