I N T E R F A C E  
(Note: this may need to work at two different levels, depending on user technology)

The aim is to produce a GUI with a look which will differentiate this from others and be attractive to young learners.  
The notes that follow are not exhaustive and are meant to attract comment and suggestions for modification.  

**FEEL**

Overall, the feel should be of an 'alien spacecraft flight-deck control surface,'  which has no permanently-visible consoles, dials,  instruments of any kind -  merely a flat space (whose texture might faintly suggest that of "outer space")  where very faint, translucent  icons dot the screen edge, and within which very faint translucent images (such as that of the nested spheres, or time-bar, etc.) "float,"  until activated:-  when they temporarily brighten…   until no longer in use.     
The feeling is of a very advanced,  'intuitive' control system.  
The basic color scheme would be silver/white on black.

**SWITCH ON**

The opening screen is the dark of outer space (a very faint trace of distant star-fields, to give texture) then mixes (with sound TBD) to show pinpoint of light at center left, which flares red<white, to fill screen.  The flare fades fast, mixing to the nested sphere construct, which is very slowly turning and filling left half screen.    
On right of screen appears ‘James Burke's Knowledge Web’ title.  It fades in, and then out.   
Tiny icons (see below) appear, faint, dotted round right three sides of screen. These are always faintly visible.  
Time bar also appears, faint,  bottom left half edge of screen.  This is always visible.  
In top right corner of screen appear faint words:  The Journey.  This is always visible.   	(Below this phrase is the space where narrative notes will appear,  as The Journey 	progresses [see 'oneliner' and 'linking descriptor phrase' below])    
Earth-globe map appears, faint, top left.  It is a sphere carrying lat-long. lines.   It is always faintly visible.  
Avatar (see below) bottom right, appears and remains at all times (unless disposed of)  

All icons (and spaces to be filled by writing),  all lettering etc., are set directly onto the screen "outer-space" background, without boxes or outlines,  so they "float" on the background at any time.    
Icons and lettering, etc. are faint until moused-over or clicked, when they brighten for as long as they are in use.

**NESTED SPHERE CONSTRUCT**

This is a time construct,  consisting of a three-dimensional, slowly rotating (rotation stops on user action) sphere, made of a set of concentric translucent spheres (like barely-visible onionskins, differentiated one from the other in such a way as to retain the three-dimensionality of the image and suggest graduated recession inward into the past).  
The outermost skin represents the "modern world" and carries the "gateway" nodes.  The next seven skins (of varying thickness,  depending on content) each represent a century (20th back through 14th). The ninth skin (innermost, stretching into the center) represents the period before the 14th century.   
The sphere is dotted with approx. 2,200 tiny points of light (slightly brighter than the structure).  These are nodes and gateways (see below) and they are linked by filaments (whose luminosity is between the brightness of the structure and that of the nodes).    
Nodes are placed in their relevant century,  and are oriented best to fit their onionskin-space (keeping in mind the need for a 3D effect,  and the problems avoiding of superimposition).  

The general feel is of the night sky, dusted with stars and star clusters:  a cosmos of data.

In this mode, use of the time bar (see below) to choose a date or period causes the construct to morph into a single sphere (identified by a written label carrying the date or period chosen),  populated with the relevant nodes and filaments.

The principal use for the nested-sphere construct (or selected-date/period sphere)  is to permit the user to "fly" into the construct.  Once in, flying through and around (changing direction is possible) causes nodes to come close,  revealing  themselves as names, so the user feels they are flying through the interconnected 'cosmos' of node names.  The impression should be of flying through a dense star-cluster.  (NB:  the only proposed use for this K-web entry-option is when a user decides to start The Journey with a random choice of node, or to "look around.")   

Stopping at a node causes the onion-skins for all other centuries, nodes and connections, to dim down,  then morph to a view of the chosen (brightened) node and its constellation of connections (out to third-level connections), curved over the surface of the onion skin.  This is **merely a transitional phase** to hint at density, and then immediately morphs to become a node+first+second-level-connections, two-dimensional view of:--

**MINIWEB:   OF CHOSEN NODE +FIRST+SECOND-LEVEL CONNECTIONS**

(Nodes are names.   If node name is in silver, perhaps selection as chosen node causes it to become subtly colored?)

In mini-web mode:

(a) mousing over the chosen node causes the node's 'oneliner' (describing the node, e.g. “Albert Einstein, physicist”) temporarily to appear by that node and in The Journey space (see below)  
(b) mousing over the linking filament causes the linking descriptor phrase (what is the connection? e.g. “worked with”) temporarily to appear by the link-filament and in The Journey space, below the oneliner  
(c) mousing a connectee node causes its identifying  'oneliner' temporarily to appear by it,  (and also below the linking descriptor phrase in The Journey space:  e.g. “Enrico Fermi, physicist”)

Double-clicking on any node causes the mini-web view to fade to faint (i.e. become the background) and  the selected node's bio-text  appears (color or tone of bio-text contents and icons might be less 'spacey' in feel,  perhaps in subtle color). 

Clicking on the miniweb icon in the bio-text margin (see below) returns the user to the relevant miniweb view.

**TOPOGRAPHIC/CARTOGRAPHIC GLOBE-MAP** 

This activates once the user is in miniweb mode.   Relevant to the node (moused-over or clicked), it automatically shows continent-scale view (real topography + geographic data superimposed), highlighting the specific country involved.

Clicking on the Earth-globe construct (top left of screen) causes it to brighten.  
Further right- or left- clicking moves it to next zoomed-in/out levels of magnification (Earth> continent> country> node-location).  

Clicking on a location name or spot jumps user to online resource (local tourist board website, etc.).  Closing link with this resource returns the user to the screen as it was before the resource use.

**SCREEN-EDGE ICONS/ENTRY MODES**

*Back and Forward arrow icons*

*Entry via time bar/nested sphere construct*  
Time bar has button ('Timescale') at one end which,  when clicked,  changes time bar increments from centuries to decades to years (i.e. it changes timescale)

Mousing over either end of  time bar scrolls it left (time-period numbers move out of sight to right,  moving the period as shown back in time) or right (time-period bar moves out of sight to left,  moving the period as shown forward in time).  Remove mouse:  time-period shifting stops.

Click on command button at end of bar to input choice of period or date.  

Appropriate response:  choice of time-period or date causes nested-sphere construct to morph into a single sphere, populated by relevant nodes and links.   User can then "fly" around the sphere and choose a node (see above)

*Entry by natural language*  
Mouse on screen-edge icon "Command/Question" causes the icon to brighten and the cursor to move to the beginning of the space where the user's typed letters will appear (in center of screen, as background is dimmed)

User types a natural language sentence or phrase [e.g. (a)  "Who invented the steam engine?"  (b)  "What was the origin of the carburetor?"  (c) "Show me all eighteenth century German chemists"].    
Appropriate response to these requirements comes as the relevant  miniweb structure,  e.g:-- 	  
	For (a) -  James Watt and first-level connections, with relevant node/links 	highlighted; 	  
	For (b) -  Maybach and first-level connections, with relevant nodes/links 	highlighted  
For (c) -  appropriate response in listing view: e.g. dropdown list of all relevant chemists

*Entry by alphabetic choice*  
Mouse on screen-edge icon "Contents" and dropdown menu of alphabetic list of all node-names appears,  in center of screen, in faint lettering, which brightens as mouse goes over, and scrolls up or down as mouse reaches small line indicating top/bottom.    
Scroll and click to choose.  

This causes to appear:-  
Miniweb with chosen node at center of constellation,  i.e. node+first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

*Entry by categories/vital stats.*  
Among the screen-edge icons, four icons:  (a)  "Category"   (b) Discipline"  and  (c) "Field"  (d) "Other" (e) "Filter"

(a)  Mouse over "Category" icon (it brightens) and subset of icons appears (taking the place of "Category"):--   "Person"  Thing"  "Event"  "Concept"    
	Click on one of the four sub-set icons,  to choose.    
	Dropdown alphabet list of relevant node names appears  
	Scroll and click to choose.    
Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation  +first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

(b)  Mouse over "Discipline" icon, and it is replaced by dropdown alphabet list of disciplines.    
	Scroll and click to choose.    
	Dropdown alphabet list of relevant node names appears.  
	Scroll and click to choose.   
 	Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation  +first+second-	level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

(c)  Mouse over "Field" icon, and it is replaced by dropdown alphabet list of fields.   
	Scroll and click to choose.    
	Dropdown list of relevant node names appears.    
	Scroll and click to choose.   
Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation  +first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

(d)  Mouse over "Other" icon, and it is replaced by  
Set of headings:  'nationality,' 'gender,' 'place,' 'ethnicity,' 'century,' 'date' and 'process choice'.  
	Click on chosen heading.  
A relevant dropdown list(s) (e.g. countries, Male/Female, nationality, centuries, years) appears  
	Scroll and click on relevant list(s)  
	Click on 'process choice' command  
	Filtered dropdown list of relevant node names  
	Scroll and click to choose node  
Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation + first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

(e) In "Person" mode, a filtered choice can be made:  
	Click on "Filter."      
	"Discipline," "Field,  and "Other" brighten.  
Click in sequence on those chosen, e.g. "Discipline."  A dropdown list of disciplines appears  
Click on chosen discipline and a dropdown list of all relevant node names appears and remains.  
[ Click on "Field" and a dropdown list of Fields appears. Click on chosen field and the present list of  "Discipline" node names is reduced to those relevant.]  
	[ Click on "Other" and a dropdown list of Other categories (nationality, gender, 	place, century, date) appears]  
Click on chosen category(ies) [nationality, gender, place, century, date] and the dropdown list of already-filtered "Discipline/Field" node names is reduced to those relevant.  
	Scroll and click on chosen node name.  
Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation  +first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

*Entry by keyword*   
Click on screen-edge  "Keyword search" icon.   
Cursor appears at typing space.  
Type keyword  
Dropdown list of relevant nodes.  
Scroll and click to choose  
Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation  +first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

*Entry by theme*  
Click on screen-edge "Theme" icon, and it is replaced by dropdown list of themes available (e.g. Industrial revolution, Quantum Physics, Renaissance art, etc.)  
Scroll and click to choose.  
Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation node  +first+second-level connections).  (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

*Entry by preselected journey*  
Click on screen-edge "Preselected Journeys" icon  and it is replaced by dropdown list of 50+ available pre-selected journey choices (e.g. Copernicus to Chewing gum).  
Scroll and click to choose.  
The first miniweb screen shows the first node +first-level next node highlighted (the relevant oneliner and linking descriptor phrase appear in The Journey space).   
Each time the user clicks on the next node,  it becomes central, when relevant next node  is highlighted,  and The Journey text is updated (see below).     
On arrival at the final node of the pre-selected Journey, no further highlighting occurs.

*Entry by personal selection of journey*  
Click on screen-edge "Select Journey" icon which is replaced by two headings ("From" and "To") and two identical dropdown alphabet list of all nodes,  one below each heading.  
Scroll and click on choice from each list.    
The miniweb screen shows the first node  +link+second-level node highlighted (relevant oneliner and linking descriptor phrase appear in "The Journey" space).   
Each time the user clicks on the next node,  it becomes central, when relevant node  +first--level node are highlighted,  and The Journey text is updated (see below).     
On arrival at the final node of the selected Journey, no further highlighting occurs.

*Entry by random choice*  
Click on screen-edge "Random Choice" icon  
Miniweb appears with randomly-chosen node at center of constellation  +first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

*Entry by modern gateway*  
Click on screen-edge "Gateway" icon   
Dropdown list of modern-world gateways appears (e.g. chewing gum,  atom bomb,  bicycle, chemotherapy etc.)  
Scroll and click to choose  
Miniweb appears with chosen node at center of constellation  +first+second-level connections. (see also Miniweb/The Journey)

**NODE BIO-TEXT,  ETC.**

There are three kinds of node, with different-format texts:    
i)  "gateway " nodes (i.e. modern-world element,  such as chewing gum or atom bomb).    These are simple one- or two- paragraph descriptions.  
ii)  "thing,"  "event,"  or "concept" nodes.    These include basic data (date, location, etc) and narrative.  
iii) "people" nodes:    Text begins with the subject's vital stats. (d.o.b., family, etc),  followed by bio-text life-and-times narrative, followed by bibliography and extra-option icons (see below)

Each bio-text occupies a space (direct onto the background, not within lines or  boxes)  filling left 2/3 of screen.  When it appears, the node's oneliner appears in The Journey space (see below).    
When user mouses-over any location reference in the text,  the map (see above) shows relevant-sized view with relevant location highlighted.

Each text begins with a top-center still pic.,  with the node name superimposed

Names of hyperlinked names (of other K-web subjects) appearing in the bio-text are highlighted.    
	[Click on hyperlinked name/word and jump to relevant K-web bio-text,  or to 	relevant online url (dictionary, tourism web-site for a location, encyclopedia, etc.)    
	Mouse over K-web connectee name in bio-text,  and see pop-up text of that 	subject's relevant oneliner (see: oneliner, below) ]

In left margin of bio-text,  icons:-  	  
(a) used with highlight text selection to search information (about a bio-text word,  or name) via online resource (dictionary, encyclopedias, thesaurus, translations)  
	(b) to go to online search engine  
(c) to access online partner site(s) [e.g. ? National Geographic, WhatWhereWhen, PBS, etc.]  
	(d) Mini-web icon to return to mini-web most recent configuration}  
	  
In space following the bio-text narrative:  
	Audio icon [run/stop/re-run]     
Mouse over icon, see relevant data.  Click and hear audio and (if relevant) see text.  
	Video icon (incl. animation)  [run/stop/re-run]  
		Mouse over, see relevant data.  Click and see video  
	Still(s) icon.  
		Mouse over, see relevant data.  Click and see still(s)  
	Virtual encounter icon [run/stop/re-run]  
This icon is for future use with 3D virtual experiences (visit the place, meet/interact with the people):  
	Bibliography icon:  select from list of relevant publications/online resources  
Click icon, then on choice,  and hyperlink to on-line resource (location of book/book-seller website/article url, etc. )  
	  
	  
All bio-text materials (including audio and visual materials) can be saved for inclusion in 'Archive' (see below).

**THE JOURNEY**

This heading sits near the top of the right hand side of the screen and is present at all times.  The area below it records a basic textual journal of the user's journey.  
In either the nested-sphere construct, time-selected single-sphere, or miniweb view,  when a particular first node is chosen (clicked), its oneliner descriptor appears in the "The Journey" space.    
When the user chooses the next node on the journey,  the linking descriptor phrase to that node,  and then that node's oneliner,  both appear in The Journey space,  set beneath the previous node oneliner    
[ e.g. "Charlie Smith, hot-shot American explorer")….    
then new line: linking descriptor phrase (e.g. "discovered  Inca ruins together with….")….   
then new line oneliner. (e.g. "Fred Machin, great American cartographer").]      
If the user then decides to choose a different next node (by clicking a different node in the nested-sphere, time-selected sphere or miniweb, still visible on screen left)  the new relevant linking descriptor/oneliner replaces the previously-chosen set.   In this way, The Journey is permanently updated.  

The journal (of oneliners and linking phrases) created in this way by taking a journey through the K-web (and saved) acts as a basis for later work using the full bio-texts,  or as a note-form of where The Journey has gone, so far.

Node names in The Journey narrative are also hyperlinks,  and if clicked, their relevant bio-text appears on screen left.

In this way,  as the user builds The Journey, bio-texts can be called up, selected and saved (as can bio-text multimedia contents),  together with The Journey note-form narrative,  so as to create the user's Journey draft full document, for later editing etc.

**HELP AVATAR (CAN BE TURNED OFF)**

Needs to be able to answer queries in voice  and/or writing.   Unprompted,  it should be able to remind, praise,  teach,  suggest, auto-explain; etc.   
[Design of avatar in keeping with overall design, perhaps something like a semi-translucent hologram head and shoulders of Burke]

**PASSWORD-PROTECTED SECTION:-  TEACHER GUIDE/LESSON PLANS/PARENT-CHILD GUIDE**  

Note: Hyperlinks to be available to relevant teacher-friendly relevant online sites.

**SAVING JOURNEY**

Mousing on screen-edge icon 'Archive' causes it to brighten  
Click causes icons:  'Name Journey'  and  'Save Journey'  and 'Retrieve Saved Journey' to appear below 'Archive' (which dims)  
Click 'Name Journey'  
Cursor appears below icon, blinking   
Type chosen file-name of Journey to be saved,  and hit Return, or icon:  'Save Journey'  
Essential elements saved by this action are:  
a) all mini-web pages representing each step in the previously-chosen Journey sequence, each mini-web page with the link to the relevant next node highlighted,  and the screen showing relevant ancillary data as previously chosen (map, time bar, multimedia, etc.)  
b) the entire Journey textual narrative, with all but the first step dimmed.

**RETRIEVING  JOURNEY(S)**

Mousing on screen-edge icon 'Archive' causes it to brighten  
Click causes icons:  'Name Journey'  and  'Save Journey'  and 'Retrieve Saved Journey' to appear below 'Archive' (which dims)  
Click on 'Retrieve Saved Journey'  
List of Saved Journey file-names appears  
Click on file-name to chose the Saved Journey  
Material retrieved by this action:  
a) first mini-web page,  and then all mini-web pages representing each step in the previously-chosen Journey sequence, each mini-web page with the link to the next node highlighted,  and the screen showing relevant ancillary data as previously chosen (map, time bar, multimedia,  etc.)  
b) the entire The Journey textual narrative,  with all but the first step dimmed.

To retrace the saved  Journey, in the first mini-web page presented, user clicks on the next node (link is already highlighted) and,  as this causes the next mini-web page to appear, at the same time the relevant stage of the Journey narrative brightens.  This is repeated with each new mini-web page.    After the last node is selected, no further links are highlighted,  and the retraceable sequence ends.   'Journey End' appears superimposed on final mini-web page.  
Users can at each stage of the retrieved Journey also investigate bios, hyperlinks etc.,  as during 'live' work,  but can only 'back' each time to the fixed,  saved-Journey sequence. 

**RETURNING TO 'LIVE' WORK AFTER SAVING/RETRIEVING JOURNEY**

Mousing on screen-edge icon 'Close Archive' causes it to brighten.  
Click to close all aspects of the Saving or Retrieving process and return to live K-web.

1. # **E-MAIL FACILITY**

Email Saved Journeys, or messages

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