On the representation of time in interaction

The growth in interactive, distributed and multimedia systems and particularly the explosion in use of the World Wide Web means that the concept of time is being recognised as of increasing importance in systems which are not considered to be truly real time in the traditional sense. We survey the literature relating to the role of time in interaction and consider how representations of time in interaction might encourage more effective interface design, if temporal properties can be incorporated into formal system specifications. Abstractions of time and the formal methods currently used to represent time in the realm of real time systems are discussed. The potential use of formal methods in representing temporal aspects of interaction is considered, although the fact that the temporal challenges of interaction are not yet fully understood hinders us in stating with any certainty that specific methods may be effectively applied in interaction.