Hypercept: behavioural linkage in hypertext environments

Abstract

The ever-increasing presence of hypertext as a mechanism for browsing information has necessitated study of how to counter usability difficulties inherent to hypertext as a medium. The conjunction of semantically typed links with associated visual behaviours are proposed, as a means to amending typical navigation problems. Types provide structure to the connected information set, enabling users to better conceive of the overall structure, while behaviour, taking the form of key-framed animations from link source to destination, allow users to perceive structural relations. A set of link type and behaviour combinations, or link roles, implemented in Hypercept are outlined