Metaphor-Based Design of High-Throughput Screening Process Interfaces

by , ,

Peer-reviewed Article

pp. 190-210


Abstract

This paper describes work on developing usable interfaces for creating and editing methods for high-throughput screening of chemical and biological compounds in the domain of life sciences automation. A modified approach to metaphor-based interface design was used as a framework for developing a screening method editor prototype analogous to the presentation of a recipe in a cookbook. The prototype was compared to an existing screening method editor application in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of novice users and was found to be superior.

Practitioner’s Take Away

  • Metaphors can be a powerful tool for guiding interface design in specific domains. They enable users to map knowledge from a familiar source domain to an unfamiliar target domain, thus they are particularly useful for novices.
  • The combination of formalized CTA methods with existing frameworks for developing metaphor-based interfaces can be helpful in developing, evaluating, and refining an appropriate metaphor.
  • Mismatches between software environments and the real-world analog defining a design metaphor can be effectively addressed by using composite metaphors, including object and process references.
  • Metaphor-based interfaces can significantly promote system usability, in particular effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction in complex systems.

Published in: in Volume 2, Issue 4,

The Authors

  • David B. Kaber

    David B. Kaber is a professor in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University and a visiting professor at the Center for Life Sciences Automation of the University of Rostock. His research interests include human-automation interaction, interface design for complex systems and analysis of situation awareness. He received his Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Texas Tech University in 1996.

  • Noa Segall

    Noa Segall is a research associate in the Department of Anesthesiology and the Human Simulation and Patient Safety Center at Duke University Medical Center. She received her Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University in 2006. Her research interests include human factors in medical systems, human-computer interaction, and human factors in automation design.

  • Rebecca S. Green

    Rebecca S. Green is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology at North Carolina State University. She received a B.S. in biomedical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and an M.A. in experimental psychology at East Carolina University. Her research interests include interface design in computer-based instruction and humanautomation interaction in medicine.