The use of menus in the design of on-line sytems

The benefits of menus in the human/computer interface are difficult to examine empirically. The positive relationship between the use of menu - driven systems and improvements in productivity has been conjectured, but not often demonstrated. This paper examines, in a brief retrospective way, the background and characteristics of menu-based systems with emphasis on productivity issues. Of specific interest are user interfaces, learning and appropriate design features.