Enhancing the explanatory power of intelligent user interfaces with diagrams

Abstract

I describe techniques that can be used to enhance the explanatory power of intelligent user interfaces. I focus on advice-giving systems that provide recommendations to end-users on how to solve problems, or help end-users make the right decisions. By explanatory power I am referring to the ability of a system to “explain” its own actions. One approach to endowing a system with explanatory power is to develop some kind of diagram—a graphical model that shows how something works or makes something easier to understand. I explore, in particular, “dynamic” diagrams in which the end user can explore the diagrammatic structures in a variety of ways to aid in understanding and problem-solving.