Towards a Comprehensive Framework for Display Compatibility

Abstract

In this paper, display design is considered in terms of representations and compatibility. We can view the various forms of compatibility (display, task, data type, stimulus-response, ecological, etc.) in terms of the correspondence between a pair of representations. Each type of compatibility is reviewed, with the representations specified in each case. In defining the various types, and considering the relation between them, some previous misinterpretations are clarified. A general compatibility framework is defined, and a model is proposed that could be validated through empirical means. Finally, a notional tool is described that could be used by a human factors engineer to guide design or acquisition choices for information display.