DIALOG

DESIGNS AND
N O TAT I O N S
CONTENT
INTRODUCTION

DIALOG DESIGN NOTATIONS

DIAGRAMMATIC NOTATIONS

DIALOG SEMANTICS

DIALOG ANALYSIS & DESIGN

 A dialog is a conversation or
INTRO
exchange of information between a
person and a computer system. It's
the way users interact with a
computer through talking, typing, or
clicking to accomplish tasks or get

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information.

A dialog is the construction of

interaction between two or more
beings or systems.

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THREE LEVELS

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TO STUDY DIALOG IN HCI

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•Lexical − The shape of icons, actual keys pressed, etc., are dealt
with at this level.

•Syntactic − The order of inputs and outputs in an interaction is

described at this level.

DIALOG DESIGN
•Semantic − At this level, the effect of dialog on the internal
application/data is taken care of.

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 H O W D I A L O G I S I M P O R TA N T

Dialog is crucial in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and user interfaces

because it defines how users communicate with a computer system.

 Dialog is crucial in HCI and user interfaces because:

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1.User Interaction: It allows users to talk to computers, input commands, and get
feedback.

2.Task Completion: Well-designed dialogs make it easy for users to perform

tasks.

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3. User Experience: Clear communication improves the overall user experience.

4.Error Handling: Dialogs guide users, provide feedback, and help in error
recovery.

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5.Efficiency: Optimized dialog flow minimizes time and effort for users.

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 EXAMPLE OF DIALOG DESIGN

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A dialog informs the user :

•That he/she needs to take an action

•Of critical information

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•That attention needs to be given to a specific task

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 DIALOG DESIGNS
1.Linear Dialogs: Users move through a sequence of steps in a predefined order, like filling
out a form.

2.Branching Dialogs: The interaction path varies based on user input, allowing for different
outcomes.

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3.Menu-driven Dialogs: Users make selections from a menu to navigate through the system.

4.Natural Language Dialogs: Interaction is in a more conversational manner, where users

can use natural language.

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 D I A L O G N O T AT I O N S

• Dialog notations are symbols or descriptions.

• used to represent the structure and flow of interactions between users and
computer systems in human-computer interaction (HCI) design.

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• They help communicate and document the details of user-system
conversations.

DIAGRAMMATIC

TEXTUAL

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 EXAMPLPE

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 D I A G R A M M AT I C N O T AT I O N

1.Diagrammatic Notations:
• Diagrammatic notations in HCI are visual representations using symbols, shapes,
and lines to illustrate the structure, flow, and interactions within user interfaces.

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• These visual tools help designers and stakeholders
• To effectively communicate and understand the design elements, user interactions,
and system behaviors.

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 T E X T U A L N O T AT I O N

Textual notation:

• Textual notation in HCI representing user interface elements, interactions, and

behaviors using written descriptions instead of diagrams.

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• Use text to convey the concept of design

• Providing a detailed and written representation of Interface design.

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S TAT E T R A N S I T I O N N E T W O R K S
• used for dialog description

• STNs can be very good at representing the sequential, choice and iterative parts
of a dialog

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• circles –states: Each circle denotes a 'state' the system.

• actions / events: Between the states are arrows, the transitions.

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 STN

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 HIERARCHICAL STN

Definition : Structured model organizing conversation into states and sub-states

Components : States, Hierarchy, Transitions, Actions, User Input Handling,

System Responses, End States, Context Management

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Example: “ Order Food" (Top-Level) > "Select Cuisine" > "Italian.“

Benefits : helps in maintenance of complex dialog flows.

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 HIERARCHICAL STN

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 CONCURRENT DIALOGUES

Particularly in systems modeling or software design, concurrent dialogues

represent multiple conversations or interactions that can happen simultaneously
within a given system or process.

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Example:

Class room activities

Restaurant ordering system

Word processor formatting

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 CONCURRENT DIALOGUES-I

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 CONCURRENT DIALOGUES-II

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 PETRI NET

oldest notations in computing

Simple mode of dynamic behavior

Contains:

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Places

Tokens

Arc

Transition

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 JSD

• For tree structured dialogues

• Less expressive

• Greatest clarity

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• Also used to represent the structure of programs when program is larger and
complex, it is important to plan out the solution before attempting to write any
program code

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 JSD

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 T E X T U A L N O T AT I O N

Textual Notations:

•Prototyping: Written or verbal descriptions and specifications of an interactive

model, detailing the behavior and functionality of the interface.

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•User Stories: Narrative descriptions focusing on a user's perspective, often used
in agile development to convey specific user requirements.

•Scenario Descriptions: Written accounts of user interactions with the system,

providing context and details about the steps involved.

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 D I G I TA L W AT C H

 A digital watch refers to a technology designed to display the time digitally

using numerical digits.

 Digital watches often incorporate additional features beyond just telling the

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time, such as alarms, stopwatches, timers, backlighting, and even more advanced
functions like GPS tracking, fitness tracking, or smartphone connectivity.

 The interaction between the user and the watch involves various aspects such as:

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 D I G I TA L W AT C H

• The interface (buttons, touchscreen)

• Feedback mechanisms (visual displays, vibrations)

• Ease of use (intuitive controls, clear display)

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• Accessibility features (adjustable font sizes, voice control)

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 D I G I TA L W AT C H

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 TEXTUAL DN

 Textual dialog notation is a way to represent and describe interactions between

users and computer systems through text-based representations. This notation is
often used in the design and documentation of user interfaces, helping

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designers and developers communicate and understand how users will interact
with a system.

 There are several common textual dialog notations used in HCI:

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 TEXTUAL DN

 Use Case Descriptions:Use case descriptions are written narratives that

describe how a user interacts with a system to achieve a specific goal. They
typically include information about the user's goals, the system's response, and

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any possible variations in the interaction.

• Example: Title: Purchase Item

• Actor: User

• Description: The user selects an item, adds it to the shopping cart, proceeds to
checkout, provides payment information, and confirms the purchase.

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 TEXTUAL DN
 Storyboards:

• Storyboards use a sequence of images or frames along with accompanying text

to depict the flow of a user's interaction with a system.Each frame represents a
step in the interaction, and provide details about user actions and system
responses.

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• Example:

Frame 1: User selects "Add to Cart" on the product page.

Frame 2: System adds the item to the shopping cart.

Frame 3: User clicks "Proceed to Checkout."

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 TEXTUAL DN
 Sequence diagrams show the interactions between different components (user,
system, external services) over time.They use vertical lifelines to represent
entities and horizontal arrows to depict the flow of messages between them.

 Example:

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User -> System: Selects item

System -> User: Adds item to cart

User -> System: Proceeds to checkout

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 DIALOG SEMANTICS

Dialog semantics refers to the study and understanding of the meaning and
interpretation involved in human-computer interactions through dialogues.

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Semantics is also the definition, management, and use of meaning in systems.
• Focus on conversations between users and computer systems in HCI.
• Enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and user experience in interactions.

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 SEMANTICS SPI

It is a two-part specification that includes:

•EventCSP: Pure dialogue order

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•EventISL: Target-dependent semantics

 Centralized dialogue description

 Tolerable syntactic/semantic trade-off

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 D I A L O G A N A LY S I S

• Dialog analysis in the context of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) involves

studying and understanding the communication & interaction between users
and a computer system through a series of dialogs or exchanges.

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• Examining the communication between users and a computer system.

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 PURPOSE

•Crucial for designing intuitive, efficient interfaces.

•Identifies usability issues, improves user experience, and optimizes task

performance

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 ACTION PROPERTIES

1. Completeness: Completeness means ensuring all essential information and

steps are included in an action.
2. Determinism: Determinism means that if you perform a particular action in the

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same way and under the same conditions, you can reliably expect the exact same
result each time.

3. Consistency: Consistency in action properties ensures that action behaves

uniformly and coherently across diverse contexts or conditions.

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 S TAT E P R O P E R T I E S

Reachability: This property questions whether it is possible to transition from any

state to any other state, and if so, how easily such transitions can occur.
Reversibility: Examines the possibility of going back to the previous state from

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the current state.

Dangerous States: Refers to certain states within the system that are considered
undesirable or potentially harmful. These are states that should be avoided due to
associated risks or negative consequences.

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 SUMMARIZED

•Dialog semantics ensures clear and user-friendly computer conversations.

•Actions are complete, adaptable, and responsive to user goals.

•System states are navigable, reversible, and avoid undesirable conditions.

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 THANK YOU

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