LangWidgets: Tangible Navigation System for Semantic Fields

Abstract

English lexicography has a long and rich tradition. The digitization of the field has revolutionized it in many respects. However, from a designer point of view, this transformation is not complete. In fact, if we were to examine the layouts and arrangements of online dictionaries, we would find that they share an almost identical structure with the printed form. Today, lexicography is again at a turning point. New research states that dictionaries should mirror the way language is organized in our brains. That is, lexicographers should partake in cognitive research and implement the findings in the process of dictionary-making. The primary goal of LangWidgets is to approach this task through the user-interface perspective. Mindfully-crafted eLexicon interfaces could ease the cognitive load of users by simplifying navigation through the debris of data. In addition, they could promote a more precise mental model of the language, which, in turn, would improve the process of language acquisition. The paper concludes with a pilot study demonstrating the future promise of the LangWidgets system.