Authoring Systems

Authoring Systems
Many authoring systems are based on the model that one or more authors will create the design and enter the media elements for an experience with which an end user will interact. The result of the authoring process is a structure of elements, linked in various paths determined by the authors(s). This structure appears to the end user as a series of screens containing information in various forms and interactive options available through buttons, icons or keystrokes.
This model is translated into separate and distinctly different interfaces for the author and the end user. The author's interface typically has a suite of on-screen tools available through menus, icons, text prompts, or other options, which can be invoked to create and place elements on the screen. The end-user's interface is defined by the elements that the author has invented. For example, a screen that includes text in paragraphs, a scanned image, and audio segments may have hot buttons or sensitive regions on the screen that the end user can select to interact with the screen element navigate to other parts of the presentation, or simply get help.
Implicit in this model has been the idea that the end user will not add or modify the content of the experience and, in fact, will interact with only on the terms set by the author(s). While this approach has be common, it does not necessarily provide the end user with the effective experience. One of the trends in new software is the support annotation and personalization by the end user, especially for training.