Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Web browser history visualisation

Visualisation of Web Browser History : The visual representation of web pages and their browsed history as influenced by the stylistic and spatial theories of the constructivist artist and architect Laslar Lissitzky.

The study begins with the identification of the democratisation of interface design. This term, as coined by Steven Johnson, describes the influence that graphic designers and artists have had on the development of interface design, particularly in the web environment.

Reaction from advocates of standardisation highlighted the gap between the �traditional� interface engineer and the new-age interface �artist�. The study subsequently analyses the development of Human Computer Interface engineering (HCI), its evolution towards user-centred design, and finally the recent acceptance of affective design principles arising from theory of product design.

Using Lissitzky�s Proun paintings as inspiration, an interface will be designed that incorporates aspects of 3D spatial theory, in particular axonometric and isometric projection, virtual reality and structural wayfinding, while at the same time holding true to well established principles of HCI. Affective design testing methodologies will provide feedback in which to conduct an iterative design process.

The intended result will be an interface that is both functional and emotively engaging � a good interface works well, a �cool� interface works better.