The Graphical User Interface (GUI), as the most prevailing type of User Interface (UI) in today’s interactive applications, restricts the interaction with a computer to the visual modality and is therefore not suited for some users (e.g., with limited literacy or typing skills), in some circumstances (e.g., while moving around, with their hands or eyes busy) or when the environment is constrained (e.g., the keyboard and the mouse are not available). In order to go beyond the GUI constraints, the Multimodal (MM) UIs apear as paradigm that provide users with great expressive power, naturalness and flexibility. In this thesis we argue that developing MM UIs combining graphical and vocal modalities is an activity that could benefit from the application of a methodology which is composed of: a set of models, a method manipulating these models and the tools implementing the method. Therefore, we define a design space-based method that is supported by model-to-model colored transformations in order to obtain MM UIs of information systems. The design space is composed of explicitly defined design options that clarify the development process in a structured way in order to require less design effort. The feasability of the methodology is demonstrated through three case studies with different levels of complexity and coverage. In addition, an empirical study is conducted with end-users in order to measure the relative usability level provided by different design decisions.

Autour du deuxième mois, le bébé acquiert une nouvelle compétence vocale qui est associée à une capacité à s’engager dans des échanges vocaux caractérisés par une alternance entre les 2 partenaires. Cependant, l’émergence des compétences communicatives du bébé dans la période néonatale reste méconnue. Dans la présente recherche, nous souhaitons explorer la capacité de communication du nouveau-né, à travers l’étude de l’interaction vocale avec sa mère. Quinze mères et leur nouveau-né nés à terme ont été enregistrés à la maternité lors d’un moment d’interaction à 2 à 4 jours de vie. Les enregistrements ont été analysés selon 3 angles de vue : celui du discours de la mère, celui de l'organisation temporelle des vocalisations des 2 partenaires, et celui de la qualité des vocalisations du nouveau-né. Nos résultats suggèrent que la mère s’accorde à l’état d’éveil de son nouveau-né et le considère comme un partenaire à part entière dans l’échange. De plus, l'interaction vocale est composée de séquences de prise de tour reposant sur une participation vocale active du nouveau-né. Une fenêtre temporelle de 1 seconde semble être la fenêtre appropriée pour apprécier la contingence sociale dans la période néonatale. De même, la durée de la vocalisation semble être le paramètre sur lequel les mères se basent pour percevoir l’intention communicative dans les vocalisations du nouveau-né. L’état d’éveil 5 a un statut particulier dans la production de vocalisations du nouveau-né. Dans son ensemble, cette recherche suggère que le nouveau-né communique de manière intentionnelle, et que les états d’éveil jouent un rôle important dans la communication dans la période néonatale. / Around the second month of life, infants have the ability to partake in vocal interactions characterized by turn-taking sequences, where each partner takes turns. Little is known however, on the emergence of the ability to partake in social interaction in the neonatal period. In the present research, we wish to explore this ability by studying the vocal interaction between the mother and her newborn infant. Fifteen mothers and their newborns were recorded in a face-to-face interaction when the newborns were 2 to 4 days old. The recordings were analyzed from 3 different angles: the content of the mother’s speech addressed to her newborn, the temporal organization of the mother and newborn vocalizations, and the acoustic qualities of the newborn vocalizations. Our results suggest that the mothers attune the content of their speech to the newborns’ behavioral sates, and seem to consider their newborn as a partner in the interaction. Moreover, the vocal interaction is characterized by turn-taking sequences, which rely on the active vocal participation of the newborn. A 1-second window seems be the correct window to appreciate social contingency in the neonatal period. Furthermore, duration of the vocalization seems to be the feature upon which mothers rely to perceive communicative intent in the newborn non-cry vocalizations. Behavioral state 5 appears to have a particular status in the production of non-cry vocalizations. As a whole, this research suggests that the newborn communicates intentionally, and the behavioral states play in important role in communication during the neonatal period.