This research studies usability problems in ReactoGraph, a visual programming language designed to simplify the development of graphical user interfaces. Its design incorporates concrete representations of interface controls and behavior but suffers from complexity in defining message passing, inter-component data flow, and event handling. We attempt to further simplify the use of ReactoGraph by considering effects of tool design on cognitive abilities and introduce three high-level semantic additions to the language. We describe these in the context of cognitive load and discuss results of a small user study that shows promise in their effectiveness.
Citation:
Simon Gauvin, Trevor Smedley, "Reduction of Cognitive Load Through the Addition of High-Level Semantics to ReactoGraph," vlhcc, pp.181-188, 2004 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages - Human Centric Computing (VLHCC'04), 2004