| Software: Making it Real |
| |
| During the "first
wave" of online interactivity in the 1980's I saw a set
of needs and filled them. Early on it became clear that the Interaction Design practice needed to handle four important jobs: |
Presentation |
required global HTML-like
tags to identify and control coherent page elements
and stylesheets |
Production |
required information placeholders to allow easy updating
of graphically sophisticated pages |
Transaction |
required flexibly-defined
"info hooks" so that data could be easily
manipulated by software engines |
Transformation |
required platform-independent
"identifiers" so that information could
be delivered in a range of formats |
The
newly emerging interactive online industries needed
to build a large number of pages that could be updated
easily, were platform independent, and retained some
"meta-information" intelligence
about themselves. We didn't really have many standards
in the interactive industry just yet, so I invented
my own data-tagging system. It was crudely XML-ish - but it worked. |
| TCS
Software Products |
| Here are the products that The Communication Studio put on the
market to support the "first wave" of interactive
services in the US between 1984 and 1988. |
| |
| |
TEXTUP |
Context
Management System
The TextUp Workstation lets you quickly edit graphically
sophisticated pages through a simple Template and Clip Art-driven process.
- Edit, merge & highlight text content
- Merge graphic Clip
Art
- Generate Bar Charts and Histograms
- Custom Font Styles for Text Titling
- Manage your production process
This product was a bit ahead of its time. Basically,
it's kind of a rudimentary XML-like tagging system with a user interface that allows a
person with secretarial skills to easily update graphically
sophisticated pages safely. |
| |
| OTTO |
Automated
Formatter
This software "page engine"
takes a text file, automatically reformats
the information into graphic templates,
and stores the result under a new filename.
In many ways, Otto may be viewed
simply as an automated version of TextUp.
- "Batch" process a group of files
- Reformat a single file of ASCII information into
multiple display formats (for different applications)
- Control presentation attributes
- Merge graphics on basis of rules
- Generate Bar Charts and histograms on the basis
of the incoming data
And since all OTTO templates are TEXTUP-editable,
you can also edit and customize individual pages. |
| |
| IMAGE LIBRARY |
Clip Art
Designed for use with TEXTUP, we offered
hundreds of images
and animations (View some examples), including corporate,
product & sports logos, icons, portraits,
backgrounds, illustrations, maps, animations,
bar chart styles and custom font styles. |
| |
| ENVIRONMENT |
Interactive
Database
This fully-featured site plateform was targeted
as a standalone information
"kiosk" (View an example) that could be updated online.
- Key-activated shortcuts
- Database Routing Editor controls
- Easy ad insertion & cycling announcements
- "Program intelligence" into specific
applications in the database
- Billboarding "attractor" mode, mini-show
presentation
|
| |
| SHOW |
Page
Presenter
Lets you create, edit and present a group
computergraphic pages as a "slideshow". |
| |
| EDNA |
Annotated
Code Disassembler
This technical tool displays the underlying
code of a NAPLPS computergraphic
file with referential annotation - Also
allows simple editing. |
|
|
| Conferences,
Seminars & Panels |
|
| What |
Where |
|
| Packaging the
Message |
Videotex
`82 Online Conference |
| Computer Graphics
& Advertising |
Pratt Center
For Continuing Education |
| An Introduction
to Videotex |
Artists Talk
On Art |
| Talkshop on Frame
Creation |
Videotex
`84 Online Conference |
| Designing Videotex
Programming |
Visual Communications
Congress |
| Designing for
NAPLPS |
Videotex
Graphics '84 Disc Conference |
| Graphics To Go |
Computer Graphics
'85 (NCGA) |
| Videotex &
Optical Disc: The New Synthesis |
Videotex
'85 Online Conference |
| Applications Beyond
Videotex |
Videotex
International '85 |
| NAPLPS Computer
Graphics |
Electronic
Imaging '85 |
| Frame Creation:
The State of the Artist |
Videotex
'86 Online Conference |
| NAPLPS Software
Applications |
Computer
Graphics '86 (NCGA) |
| Graphics in the
Office |
Format '86
(Tower Conference. Mgt.) |
| Producing for
Point of Sale |
Public Access
Video Systems |
| Aiding the End
User |
National
Online Conference '87 |
| Graphics Packages
as Marketing Tools for Public Access |
Interactive
Applications in Consumer Education & Point
of Purchase Marketing (S.A.L.T.) |
| Device Independent
Graphics in the Online Environment |
International
Conference on Databases in the Humanities &
Social Sciences |
| |
| Published
Articles |
| Title |
|
| Packaging the
Message |
Proceedings:
Videotex `84 |
| Computer Graphics
& Advertising |
Proceedings:
Videotex `85 |
| An Introduction
to Videotex |
Proceedings:
Videotex International `85 |
| Talkshop on Frame
Creation |
Interactive
Design Systems |
| Designing
Videotex Programming |
Electronic
Imaging '85 |
| Designing for
NAPLPS |
Report of
the Application Level User Interface Committee
of the Videotex Industry Association |
| Graphics To Go |
Computer Graphics
'85 (NCGA) |
| |
Macromedia Fireworks
Macromedia Flash *
Microsoft Word
Robohelp 
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