Database systems: challenges and opportunities for graphical HCI

Databases and their applications form one of the most important classes of computer systems yet they have received relatively little attention from the HCI community. They have nevertheless spawned some notably innovative user interfaces and it is interesting to examine these in the light of contemporary HCI issues. The paper addresses the relationship between HCI and database systems, reviews some of the major themes running through existing database user interfaces and postulates some issues which are likely to be important to database usability in the future. The underlying argument is that databases are sufficiently different from other classes of application to necessitate a raft of user interface techniques specifically for the needs of database users which would reward increased attention by the HCI community.