A linguistic approach to user interface design

This paper considers user interface design world (UIDW) as a system of communication lines. It necessitates the adoption of a UI design method, centered on language application. For that reason, this approach to UI design is called linguistic approach. The basic characteristics of communication require the presence of a balanced model of UIDW. The integration approach applied to the proposed balanced model submits for analyzing the following issues: the possibilities of object-oriented (OO) approach for providing a homogeneous platform for UI designing; the potential of OO approach for language implementation. The use of formal description provides a basis for the consideration of these issues. As a result of these considerations, the following conclusions are drawn. A technology can be used for language implementation if it ensures all abstract forms reflected to the language structure: concept - this is the essence of the word; forms based on individual abstraction reflect static relations of one description: forms based on group abstraction provide context description. At present, the OO technology covers a part of the language structure. It ensures the forms of concept and the forms based on individual abstraction. The OO paradigm can be regarded as a foundation of a linguistic approach to UI design when new OO forms are developed. They have to cover the forms of group abstraction. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.