The little languages paper we discussed earlier mentions the idea that any interface defines a language. In that sense, we can apply the principles of language design to a user's interaction with any interface. Harold Thimbleby's recent article in Interactions (ACM's HCI magazine) gives a fascinating and (literally) deadly example of just that, emphasizing problems arising from a mismatch between the users' perception of the language semantics and the language's actual semantics. Take a look at the brief example on page 54 of "Ignorance of Interaction Programming is Killing People" in the sections A Fatal Overdose and Calculators Are Mad, Bad, and Dangerous.
Cheers,
Steve
P.S. Thimbleby's article is a great read, and I recommend it. However, one nitpick from an HCI perspective: I'm somewhat disappointed be his offered solutions. Sure, his iPhone apps might be great (though they almost certainly have tons of problems built in right now, as he mentions), but the form of the solution is currently wildly unrealistic in hospitals. Remember that these hospitals couldn't even afford the "smart pumps"! So, how does he advise changing interaction programming in ways that will actually manifest in hospitals in the foreseeable future?
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