Metaphor to Personality: the role of animation in intelligent interface agents
Mark Wilson · 1997
Intelligent agents are beginning to appear that incorporate animated user interfaces. This paper derives 10 requirements on the interfaces to such agents in the light of the role the agent takes with respect to the user, the mental model the user is expected to develop of the agent, and the aspects of processes which are captured by animation. It is concluded that the main role of the animated interface is to support the marketing of the interface through the creation of an acceptable characterisation of it, rather than to support interactive use of the agent. 1 Introduction Intelligent agents are beginning to appear which are presented to users as animated characters. This paper analyses the requirements on the interfaces to such agents. Following these requirements the interface of one animated agent system is analysed to answer three questions which should guide the designers of animated agents : Does the introduction of character and the animation of representations of those char...