Abstract
The success of the WIMP interface, the convergence towards multimedia platforms and the growing use of the Internet combine to place new demands on the systems we use to communicate with one another. Proposals for iconic languages are not new but the computer offers the ability to incorporate interactivity and animation into iconic writing and reading systems. One approach to developing computer-based iconic communication systems derives from the visual arts (i.e. graphic design, illustration, film animation, documentary video, etc.). An alternative approach is derived from computational linguistics in that the syntactic or semantic structure of language is retained while iconic images are used in place of words. Differences between the study of natural language and the design of an iconic language are discussed and the components of one particular system, IconText, are described. Of particular interest is the attempt to capture some pragmatic aspects of communication, both in terms of conveying the intentions of the author and concerning the sequential delivery of the message.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Baecker, R. & Small, I. (1990). Animation at the Interface. In Laurel, B. (ed.) The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, 251–267. Addison-Wesley: Reading, Mass.
Barker, P. & Manji, K. (1989). Pictorial Dialogue Methods. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies 31(3): 323–348.
Barrow, H. G. & Baker, B. R. (1982). Minspeak, a Semantic Compaction System that Makes Self-Expression Easier for Communicatively Disabled Individuals. Byte 7(9): 186–202.
Beardon, C. (1992). CD-Icon: An Iconic Language Based on Conceptual Dependency. Intelligent Tutoring Media 3(4): 111–116.
Beardon, C. (1993). Computer-Based Iconic Communication. In Ryan, K. & Sutcliffe, R. (eds) AI and Cognitive Science’92, 263–276. Springer-Verlag: London.
Bliss, C. K. (1965). Semantography (Blissymbolics). Semantography Publications: Sydney.
Dormann, C. (1994). Self-Explaining Icons. Intelligent Tutoring Media 5(2): 81–85.
Edmondson, W. (1994). Abstraction and Organisation in Signs and Sign Systems. Intelligent Tutoring Media 5(2): 63–72.
Gaver, W. W. (1989). The Sonic Finder: an Interface that uses Auditory Icons. Human-Computer Interaction 4: 67–94.
Gittens, D. (1986). Icon-Based Human-Computer Interaction. International J ournal of Man-Machine Studies 24: 519–543.
Grosz, B. J. & Sidner, C. L. (1986). Attention, Intentions, and the Structure of Discourse. Computational Linguistics 12(3): 175–204.
ISO/TEC (1992). Information Technology — Text and Office Systems — Graphical Symbols Used on Screens: Interactive Icons. Report No JTC1/SC 18. ANSI: U.S.A.
Kay, A. (1990). User Interface: A Personal View. In Laurel, B. (ed.) The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, 191–207. Addison-Wesley: Reading, Mass.
Ludlow, N. D. (1992). Pictorial Representation of Text: Converting Text to Pictures. Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh.
Marcus, A. (1979). Visual Rhetoric in Pictographic-Ideographic. Proceedings of The Second Congress of the International Association for Semiotic Studies, 1501–1508. Vienna: Mouton publishers, New York.
Mealing, S. & Yazdani, M. (1992). A Computer-Based Iconic Language. Intelligent Tutoring Media 1(3): 133–136.
Mealing, S. (1992). Talking Pictures. Intelligent Tutoring Media 2(2): 63–69.
Maier, E. & Hovy, E. H. (1991) Organizing Discourse Structure Relations Using Metajunctions. Paper presented to the European Natural Language Generation Workshop: GMD-IPSI, Darmstadt.
Neurath, O. (1978). International Picture Language. University of Reading: Reading.
Schank, R. C. (1973). Identification of Conceptualisations Underlying Natural Language. In Schank, R. & Colby, M. (eds) Computer Models of Thought and Language, 187–247. W. H. Freeman: San Francisco.
Tonfoni, G. (1994). Writing as a Visual Art. Intellect Books: Oxford.
Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical Investigations. Blackwell: Oxford.
Wittgenstein, L. (1961). Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, trans. Pears, D. F. & McGuiness, B. F. Routledge & Kegan Paul: London.
Woods, W. (1978). Semantics and Quantification in Natural Language Question Answering. In Yovits, M. (ed.) Advances in Computers 17: 2–64. Academic Press: New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Beardon, C. (1995). Discourse Structures in Iconic Communication. In: Mc Kevitt, P. (eds) Integration of Natural Language and Vision Processing. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0445-6_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0445-6_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4199-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0445-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive