The book, "Interaction Design for Complex Problem Solving," looks at the complicated task of finding solid software for the toughest problems. While much of today's complex problem solving software offer advanced features or alluring visuals, the user experience often leaves much to be desired. Barbara Mirel's new book helps readers figure this complicated subject out.

Because complex problem solving software often offers work methods that are out of sync with the users' methods, and frequently fails to give the user a suitable degree of control, Mirel has tried to provide a new approach to interaction design for complex problem solving applications. The book tries to treat the problem solving software and Web applications as a distinct class with its own set of usefulness demands and design criteria.

The new approach is designed to highlight integrated interactions rather than discrete actions, clearly define what makes problem solving complex and explore strategies for analyzing, modeling and designing for exploratory inquiries. T. R. Girill, University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, describes Mirel's writing: "Barbara Mirel cracks open the problem of software usefulness with vigor and ambition. Her rich analysis of real-world problem-solving scenarios yields insight into previously neglected general and domain-specific aspects of complex problems. From these she generates much-needed advice for designing intelligently useful software."

The book offers features and benefits including:

• In-depth case studies ranging from IT troubleshooting to marketing analysis to risk assessments in healthcare show exactly where and what goes wrong in real world activities and how to improve them.

• Presents a system and framework for analyzing complex work.

• Offers new perspectives for support and new design strategies for building the right models into programs so that they effectively address users' dynamic work.

• Allows designers to turn findings into useful designs for problems that require users to create new knowledge but with no one right answer and with many methods of reaching solutions.

Johndan Johnson-Eilola, Clarkson University, describes the book this way: "At last we have a text to help interaction designers, technical communicators, and programmers understand (rather than defeat) the complexities of users engaged in knowledge work in real-world contexts. Barbara Mirel's Interaction Design for Complex Problem Solving weaves theory and practice into a coherent, rich framework for thinking about, researching and designing powerful and useful systems."

For more information, visit:

http://books.elsevier.com [...read more...]

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