seminar Stanford HCI Group
coursespeopleresearchconnect directions

CS547 Human-Computer Interaction Seminar  (Seminar on People, Computers, and Design)

Fridays 12:30-1:50 · Gates B01 · Open to the public
Previous | Next
Archive
Shumin Zhai
IBM Almaden Research Center
"Progressive User Interfaces" and the journey of research, design, and development of touch screen gesture keyboard
January 7, 2011

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.

Ease and efficiency are two critical qualities of user interfaces. Ideally an interface simultaneously possesses both. However the different cognitive bases to easy and efficient interactions make it difficult to support both in the same user interface design. In the consumer market, interface designs are often made as easy as possible at the cost of long term interaction efficiency. I will illustrate this dilemma in the current generation of touch screen products such as the iPhone. In my view, by systematically designing and utilizing stroke gestures, many opportunities exist on designing "progressive user interfaces" which shift the user from easy to efficient interaction.

From this perspective, I will review some of the key concepts, methods, and milestones in the ShapeWriter project that started from a research idea, developed into a company, generated enthusiastic reception from early adopters, and in the process pioneered gesture keyboard, a new information input paradigm that facilitates progression from ease to efficiency in interaction.


Shumin Zhai is a research scientist interested in both foundational issues of user interfaces (e.g. laws of action and the cognitive aspect of gesture UI) and practical product and service innovations (e.g. FonePal and the ScrollPoint mouse). He originated and led the ShapeWriter project that pioneered the touchscreen gesture keyboard paradigm. He has published over 100 research papers, received about 30 patents, and contributed to multiple IBM Research Division Accomplishments. His work has been reported in over 100 articles in the news media including the New York Times and the BBC. He regularly serves on academic boards and committees and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction. He has been a visiting professor and lectured at various universities in the US, Europe and China. Among the first to enter universities through the competitive national entrance examination in 1977 after the 10 year Cultural Revolution, Shumin started his academic and research career in China in 1984 after receiving his master's degree. He earned his Ph.D. degree at the University of Toronto in 1995. In 2006, he was named one of ACM's inaugural class of Distinguished Scientists. In 2010 he was named a Fellow of the ACM and Member of the CHI Academy.