FLOW CHART: Life in the Universe

Due to the richness and density of the information associated with this CD-ROM/WWW project, it seemed appropriate to make exploration of environments and the acquisition of knowledge through those explorations the driving forces behind the user's investigations. This motivation differs significantly from many CD-ROM projects which are designed more as games to be "won." In this case, navigational metaphors become very important, and contain a logic that relates to the content being studied. Ideally the interface will entice the user into wanting to learn more, as opposed to functioning merely as a window-dressing or "tool" for getting to the data. Thus, the interface becomes a kind of "data" in itself as pathway histories are generated, and as navigational metaphors change in relation to those pathways. Ultimately, for the user, knowledge becomes power, and when enough knowledge/power is gained, new horizons are opened to inspection.