[kepler-dev] Kepler actor icons

[Edward A. Lee]

One goal that I have (which we fall far short of now) is that printout
of a workflow should be a complete description of the workflow.
That is, it should provide enough information to read the workflow
and even to recreate it.  This means showing key parameter values,
which is why the ArrayToSequence actors show the numbers in the icons...

Edward

At 09:06 AM 7/14/2005 -0600, Laura L. Downey wrote:
>See comments interspersed below.
>
>Laura
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bertram Ludaescher [mailto:ludaesch at ucdavis.edu]
>
>We talk about different user groups for sure (as is now acknowledge
>generally ;-)
>
>But we also talk about very different kinds of uses cases! (not just
>different user groups)
>
>[LLD>] Agreed
>
>Some "workflow" use cases might very well have some components that
>correspond to numerically solving differential equations. Other
>workflow use cases might be just darn complicated by their nature,
>i.e., inherently. No usability engineering (or software engineering
>for that matter) can simplify the inherent complexity of those complex
>problems.
>
>[LLD>] Again, agreed.  Usability engineering can't magically make complex
>problems and issues easy -- but it can help us design the system to better
>support the tasks -- whatever they are via a combination of good visual
>design, information design and interaction design.
>
>But this seems obvious. Simple linear pipelines can capture certain
>linear workflows. But when your problem requires complex data and
>control flow, nesting, complex iteration and/or recursion etc. then
>one has to bite the bullet, no matter what. Obviously icons don't do
>much to help this problem. Higher order functions (map, foldl,
>foldr,...) or other workflow patterns as recently adopted by Triana
>(from the van der Aalst type of pattern) do.
>
>We should focus more on these things too. Icons (and the discussion
>about them) should focus on those used in toolbars, menus etc.
>
>For actors they are overrated (IMHO)
>
>[LLD>] Just to clarify here Bertram, we are not going to focus on the visual
>design any longer.  I will incorporate the latest feedback and make a final
>recommendation and we are moving on to other issues.  I have a consolidated
>list of usability issues I've created (from the group testing, observation
>and team feedback) and will continue to add to that list, including the
>important issues you have raised.
>
>Bertram
>
>
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------------
Edward A. Lee
Professor, Chair of the EE Division, Associate Chair of EECS
231 Cory Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
phone: 510-642-0253 or 510-642-0455, fax: 510-642-2845
eal at eecs.Berkeley.EDU, http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/~eal