Dissertation Information for Thomas Kevin GillespieNAME:
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SCHOOL: ADVISORS: COMMITTEE MEMBERS: MPACT Status: Fully Complete Title: Mapping thoughts: Visual interfaces for information retrieval
Abstract: This dissertation examines interface design for information retrieval systems from the perspective of visual thinking. In the first section I begin by arguing that we have a history of visual thinking which extends back as far as the caves of Altamira and continues in an unbroken line through mythology, the development of writing, and the fine arts to the modern development of television, video games, and cyberspace. I support my argument with cognitive theories of the mind, and empirical research from the fields of cognitive psychology and human factors which demonstrates the usefulness of visual information to aid visual recall and learning. I finish by discussing the history of humankind as a history of visual thinking which argues for an integration of text and graphics to aide the user in searching for information. From this point of view, I next examine traditional information systems such as pictograms, maps, and cataloging systems, and then computerized information systems such as online public access catalogs, spreadsheets, the Desktop Metaphor, and Geographic Information Systems. I then illustrate and comment on five visual interface projects which demonstrate the range of approaches being taken in the design of graphical interfaces for information retrieval. |
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