Menu system design based on conceptual dependency structures between functional elements

To avoid breakdowns in human-system interaction on the way to the target item, menu systems must be designed as compatible with his/her way of thinking. Concerning this issue, this study focuses on conceptual dependencies between elements involved in device functions. Dependency structures are examined to design interaction processes in which the user can narrow down options reasonably and effectively. A small set of common structures to classify device functions were extracted from the analysis of a wide variety of appliances' functions. The proposed method makes use of those structures to generate a menu hierarchy, facilitating the users applying the mental model they have already developed from their past experience to another new search context.