Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!atha!aunro!alberta!ubc-cs!fornax!kathy
From: kathy@cs.sfu.ca (Kathy Peters)
Newsgroups: comp.human-factors
Subject: adaptive user interfaces
Keywords: user interface, use model, adaption
Message-ID: <1991Jun12.182221.10179@cs.sfu.ca>
Date: 12 Jun 91 18:22:21 GMT
Organization: Simon Fraser University
Lines: 18

I am interested in the concept of adaptive user interfaces - somehow
tailoring the user interface for individual skills and preferences.
(Rather than just having categories like 'naive', 'expert', etc.).

Adaption could be as simple as setting up the preferred display colours,
or having dynamic menus (allowing the user to perform only certain things),
OR it could be giving the user more help if he or she is making more
mistakes (getting tired after a long day!) ....

Any thoughts on what things could be tailored for individuals (like
display characteristics or help text)? What individual characteristics
(name, age, authorization level, allowed tasks, vision and hearing
difficulties, ....) could be used to tailor the interface?


Kathy Peters
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
kathy@cs.sfu.ca