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Submitted to Stockholm university in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Licentiate of Philosophy.

Department of Computer & System Sciences
Report series ISSN 1101-8526
No. 91-001-DSV
1991

 

 

 

Visual techniques for
orientation in
hypermedia structures

 

Mikael Kindborg

April 17, 1991

 

 

Abstract

Hypermedia is a media with great potential for communicating in a fun and stimulating way. However, hypermedia can be more difficult for us to grasp than traditional media, like books and films, which can result in disorientation. This is partly caused by the abstract nature of computer based media. We can not yet physically perceive computer stored information in the same direct way as we perceive a printed book. The structure of a hypermedia system can also be much more complex than that of a book. Visual communication and good graphical design is one approach for reducing disorientation problems. By learning from the accumulated experience of professional communicators, we might improve orientation in hypermedia systems. In this study, lexivisual presentation, which is a set of communication principles used in printed media, is examined. It is shown that lexivisual design principles, such as to focus on the primary message and to present detailed information in the context of the whole, have the potential for improving orientation in hypermedia systems.

Keywords: human-computer interaction, hypermedia, hypertext, orientation, disorientation problems, visual communication, graphical design, context.

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