Illustrative Interfaces: Building Special-Purpose Interfaces with Art Techniques and Brain Science Findings
Author(s): W. Bradford Paley.
Proceedings: Proceedings of Third International Symposium on Smart Graphics, pp. 1-11,
2003.
[BibTeX] 
Abstract:
Restricting the scope of a user interface allows designers to apply
domain-specific and task-specific knowledge, making the interface itself an
illustration of the process it is meant to control. Such interfaces may be more
easily learned and understood, and perhaps more efficient. This position paper
demonstrates how we might apply to interface design findings from the study of
human information processing and behavior, from psychophysics to behavioral
psychology. It also explores the rationale behind using techniques derived from
the fine and graphic arts. It suggests a simplified model of the mind as a
“designer’s checklist” that might help interface designers take advantage of the
power inherent in people’s ability to understand illustrations.