=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=None
|storemode=property
|title=Supportive User Interfaces in Adaptation
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-828/SUI_2011_paper4.pdf
|volume=Vol-828
}}
==Supportive User Interfaces in Adaptation==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-828/SUI_2011_paper4.pdf
Supportive User Interfaces in Adaptation
Víctor López-Jaquero Francisco Montero
Laboratory on User Interaction & Software Laboratory on User Interaction & Software
Engineering (LoUISE) Engineering (LoUISE)
University of Castilla-La Mancha University of Castilla-La Mancha
02071 Albacete, Spain 02071 Albacete, Spain
+34 967 59 92 00 +34 967 59 92 00
victor@dsi.uclm.es fmontero@dsi.uclm.es
ABSTRACT functionality considered to be unimportant during the
In this paper a discussion of how supportive user interfaces design? Should not the application support rearranging the
can be used in user interfaces with adaptation capabilities is user interface to support these unforeseen needs?
provided. This discussion in made using as reference
So far, the problems identified concern the complexity of
ISATINE adaptation framework, where the stages for a
the user interface and the heterogeneity of contexts of use.
proper adaptation process and the tasks the user can get
Nevertheless, another issue comes to play: understanding
involved during the adaptation process are clearly
the user interface (one of the factors usability is considered
described. Moreover, some open questions are enunciated
to be composed of). Even for user interfaces with a reduced
to help in the identification of open issues in supportive
set of functionalities, the user can find it hard to understand
user interfaces field. how to carry out a task because the designers failed to
Keywords match user’s mental model.
Supportive user interfaces, adaptation, ISATINE adaptation
In all these situations, supportive user interfaces (SUIs) [4]
framework
can prove useful. We find that this kind of user interfaces
INTRODUCTION are also closely related to adaptation, as considered in
The growing complexity of the applications being currently ISATINE framework [2], because SUIs are required to help
developed to match complex functionality requirements, in performing several stages of the adaptation process
and the myriad of situations where the users want to proposed in this framework.
interact with those applications has provoked the creation
SUPPORTIVE USER INTERFACES IN ADAPTATION
of complex user interfaces. Nevertheless, the complexity of
Adaptation can range from adaptability, where the user is in
the user interfaces produced together with the great number
charge of performing the adaptation process, to adaptivity,
of features available in the user interface can easily lead to
where is the system the entity in charge of performing the
the misuse or underuse of the applications, by-passing
adaptation process. Nevertheless, many intermediate
important features that could increase user performance.
configurations are possible, where different entities are
Furthermore, another issue found in complex applications responsible for the several stages required to carry out user
covering a wide range of requirements is that each group of interface adaptation.
users takes advantage of a small part of the functionalities,
Next, ISATINE framework is briefly discussed to illustrate
but all the extra unused features still remain in the user
how adaptation, either adaptability or adaptivity, or any
interface, occupying screen space and conveying extra
other combination to reach adaptation, should be enriched
cognitive load to the user that is not required to perform the
with SUIs throughout the adaptation process stages.
tasks.
ISATINE adaptation framework
These issues go beyond regular desktop applications, and
ISATINE framework [2] is a specialization of Norman’s
get even worse for those applications designed for mobile
theory of action for adaptation, aiming at covering the
devices, since the space available to present the user
whole adaptation cycle, going beyond most adaptation
interface is greatly reduced. Thus, the functionalities found
frameworks, mostly focused on the actual execution of the
more common during the design process are usually the
adaptation. Three entities are considered in this framework:
fastest to be carried out though the user interfaces. But,
the user (U), the interactive system (S), or any third party
what if other users encounter problems finding some other
(T). Find below a brief explanation of the stages found in
this adaptation process:
LEAVE BLANK THE LAST 2.5 cm (1”) OF THE LEFT • Goals for user interface adaptation: any entity (U,
COLUMN ON THE FIRST PAGE FOR THE S, or T) may be responsible for establishing and
COPYRIGHT NOTICE. maintaining up-to-date a series of goals to ensure
user interface adaptation.
• Initiative for adaptation: this stage is further imagined, i.e. providing previews for each adaptation
refined into formulation for an adaptation request, selectable.
detection of an adaptation need, and notification Application of adaptation
for an adaptation request, depending on their In this stage the adaptation selected should be applied to the
location. user interface. If is the user the entity in charge, then a user
• Specification of adaptation: this stage is further interface must be provided to carry out this task. For
refined in specification by demonstration, by instance, if the adaptation to be applied is for changing user
computation, or by definition, depending on their interface elements layout, the user could be supported by
origin: respectively, U, S, or T. providing a user interface where the user can move around
• Application of adaptation: this stage specifies the user interface.
which entity will apply the adaptation specified in Evaluation of adaptation
the previous stage. Since this adaptation is always In this stage the system should assess how good an
applied on the UI, this UI should always provide adaptation has been. If it is the user the entity in charge of
some mechanism to support it. performing this stage, then a user interface should be
• Transition with adaptation: this stage specifies presented for the user to express his opinion. For instance,
which entity will ensure a smooth transition in [1] they present to the user a simple UI with different
between the UI before and after adaptation. For smilies, which represent how happy the user feels about the
instance, if S is responsible for this stage, it could last adaptation.
provide some visualization techniques, which will
visualize the steps, executed for the transition. Next, a discussion of SUIs in adaptation is included.
• INterpretation of adaptation: this stage specifies DISCUSSION AND OPEN QUESTIONS
which entity will produce meaningful information The first thing to clarify is what we mean with supportive
in order to facilitate the understanding of the user interface. For us a SUI is a UI that exploits UI meta-
adaptation by other entities. Typically, when S model information to convey/receive information about the
performs some adaptation without explanation, U UI to/from the user, or provides a means to modify the
does not necessarily understand why this type of structure, behavior or contents of the UI. Regarding the
adaptation has been performed. definition of SUI one question arises: are SUI a
• Evaluation of adaptation: this stage specifies the complement or an evolution of Mega-UI [5]?
entity responsible for evaluating the quality of the SUI can be either part of the regular UI or not.
adaptation performed so that it will be possible to Nevertheless, they should not escape general UI design
check whether or not the goals initially specified principles and guidelines, although some extra ones should
are met. appear because of their supportive nature. We have plenty
SUI in ISATINE of design guidelines, interaction patterns, heuristics, design
Supportive user interfaces could be thought for almost principles and standards, but how can be integrate all this
every stage in ISATINE framework. In this section some plethora of knowledge in the design process, and more
examples are provided to show how they could be used to concretely in the design in the design process of SUI.
help in the adaptation process in several stages. Some The design of SUIs for adaptation should pursue especially
specific examples of SUI supporting ISATINE framework consistency, for the user to gain a common mental model
can be found in [3]. for user interface adaptation tasks, as the user already has
Specification of adaptation for the general task in a user interface.
In this stage there are two tasks in which the user could be Another open question is what the relation is between SUI
supported. The first one is specifying the adaptation that the and Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI). Therefore, we have to
user would like to apply. This is already very common for consider supportive vs. intelligent user interfaces. Will the
adaptable or customizable user interfaces, where the user is S in SUI finally become “Semantic” to achieve Semantic
supported in specifying what to change. It is also a User Interfaces. Has the evolution in the Web gone further
common task in end-user programming for user interface beyond to reach the desktop to foster cooperative, semantic
adaptation. In this kind of task the user should be presented and ubiquitous desktop user interfaces?
with a user interface to support the specification of the
adaptations. Notice how this supportive user interface could SUIs require also the user of proper metaphors to prevent
be either part of the regular user interface or not. the user from becoming puzzled because of the usual
overwhelming complexity of the underlying UI meta-model
The second task in this stage where the user can be that SUI should manage.
supported is the selection of what adaptation to apply
among a set of plausible adaptations. A user interface Yet another open question is the evaluation of this kind of
should be provided by the system to do this task. Very user interfaces. What criteria and metrics should be
simple SUIs could be used to support the user, i.e. a simple considered during the evaluation of SUIs? Is usability
selection list. However, much more complex SUIs could be enough?
Still much understanding and general principles for SUI Mancha and also by the grant TIN2008-06596-C02-01
design are to be discovered. Adaptation capabilities are from the Spanish Government.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Vanderdonckt, J. and Desmarais, M. C. (eds.), Springer
This work has been partially supported by grant PEII09- Human-Computer Interaction Series. 2009.
0054-9581 from the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La