Navigational tool for the Graphic Design Archive

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the possibilities of using animation to enable users to create a mental map of their location in a vast and complex sea of information. With computers' growing ability to give us large pools of information comes a need for us to use visual aids to help us feel comfortable while interfacing with these systems. This thesis will use animated sequences to help orient users as to where they are, where they have been (their path) and where they are able to go as they navigate through a system. These animations will be created on the Macintosh II computer and will be used as a behavior element associated with the HyperCard navigation buttons. The completed thesis will be in the form of HyperCard stacks containing a complex information tree and will feature animated sequences created with either Video Works II or a similar Macintosh software package.