User Interface Adaptation

User Interface Adaptation

• A user's characteristics need to be considered when designing user interfaces
• These adjustments enhances the effectiveness of the interface for diverse users

User Interfaces for Ages 6-15

• User interfaces made for individuals aged 6-15 often fall into educational software
• Appropriate Font sizes should be in place
• The use of abstract concepts should be avoided
• Kids can understand icons and identifying what animals eat, the place they live and their appearances

User Interfaces for Ages 15-30

• People aged 15-30 can easily learn how to use an interface
• User interface simplification is not required
• This age group easily tends to adapt and learn technologies

User Interfaces for Users over 50

• User Interfaces should allow for easy navigation for users over 50
• Large font sizes should be used because older people generally have poor eyesight
• Interfaces should focus on one process at a time to prevent users from being overwhelmed

Adapting to Different Educational Backgrounds

• Designing user interfaces that adapt to differing educational backgrounds is necessary

User Categorization by Educational Background

• Three categories: novice, mid-level, and high-level

Novice Users

• Primarily refer to users with low-level educational backgrounds
• Young children who have not been introduced to technology, as well as adults who did not complete secondary school, fall into this category
• The user interface should not overwhelm the user with too many options
• Samsung's Easy Mode simplifies the interface, enlarges icons, and uses simplistic navigation gestures

Intermediate Users

• These users have a basic understanding of computers
• They retain some computer literacy and can perform basic functions
• The interface should be simple and memorable, with minimal complex terms and instructions
• They can recognize the functionalities of certain applications from real world counterparts
• Icons such as the trash can, PC icon and control panel icon are a good example

Expert Users

• Also known as "High-level users"
• Expert users have expert control in using and navigating the computer system
• Interface operations can be performed efficiently and effectively
• Simplification on the interface is not needed but the layout is already understood
• They can switch between different types of interfaces such as command line ,GUI, menu driven and form based

Types of Differently Abled

• Visually impaired
• Deafness
• Dyslexia
• Color vision deficiency
• Motor disabilities

Visual Impairment

• Visual impairment is the term to describe vision loss, whether partial or complete
• Some individuals are completely blind, others have legal blindness
• Legally blind individuals need to stand 20 feet away to see something someone with perfect vision could see from 200 feet

Adapting User Interfaces for the Visually Impaired

• Individuals with vision impairment cannot to access visual material on a traditional computer screen
• Specialized hardware and software must make computer systems usable for individuals with vision impairment
• Input examples are is spoken word and natural language interface
• Output examples are text-to-speech to read text displayed, braille keyboard and narrator/screen reader to read text displayed

Deafness

• Deafness is a form of disability where an individual experiences partial or complete loss of hearing in one or two of their ears
• Inherited or caused by external factors like loud noises, drugs, and toxins

User Interface Adaptations for Deafness

• As voice-user interfaces become more prevalent, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing find technology access increasingly difficult
• Multimedia interfaces are needed to solve to problem
• Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) is the best option
• Subtitles or transcripts (multimedia), plain English, and a linear, logical layout are all ways to accommodate deaf individuals

Dyslexia

• Dyslexia is a language-based disability that involves a lack of coordination in a person between sight and sound

Problems with Dyslexia

• Reading
• Writing

DYSLEXIA ADAPTION TO USER INTERFACE

• Avoid using textures or high contrast levels because its hard for people with dyslexia to read texts with high contrast levels
• Pastel backgrounds are a better choice compared to high-contrast colors
• Use Typography to make texts easy for reading
• OpenDyslexic example & Times It are specific fonts for users with reading disorders
• Avoid italics or underlines, use bold instead
• Keep lines of text short, up to 45 characters in a line
• Allow design customization
• Support text with icons
• Add images, pictograms, and videos
• Add auto-fill where possible

Color Vision Deficiency

• Color vision deficiency (color blindness) is the decreased ability to see the differences in certain colors such as red, yellow and green

Problems caused by Color Vision Deficiency with Computers

• May not be able to tell application icons apart due to color
• May be confused when using an application using certain colors, which may lead to inaccurate data
• May have problems arise in certain projects such as creating a presentation with pictures and highlighting text

Adapting User Interfaces for Color Vision Deficiency

• Colorblind mode can be turned on in the settings menu, and personalize the settings
• Avoid certain color combinations, like green/red and green/brown
• Insert text in the background of images

Motor Disabilities

• Motor disability is a condition that impedes sensation, movement or coordination, and can be from congenital conditions , spinal cord injuries and physical trauma
• Computer engineers have designed an eye tracking device specifically known as eye gaze, which assists users with basic tasks and routines

Adapting User Interfaces for Motor Disabilities

• The eye gaze allows motor disabled users to navigate devices through their eyes.
• The system provides basic functions (activate, select, zoom and scroll)
• The device records the user's eye movements
• The computer program can then analyse and interpret the information that is being requested

Cultural Differences

• Cultural difference is the quality of diverse or different cultures of values, beliefs, and rules of conduct
• Cultural diversity is having different cultures respect each other's differences

Cultural Differences in Technology

• Graphical design
• Language
• Racially diverse
• Festive diversity

Cultural Differences of Graphical Design

• Graphical part of the interface is the part that deals with the design of the art of the interface
• For example icons and pictures. Graphics are used to transmit messages to the user but it must also be respectful to different social groups
• It is designed respectfully to capture and captivate all end users around the world to take part in the software program without being offended culturally
• The video game 'Fortnite' removes all skull based graphics for end users in china because in China skulls are an implicit symbol for death
• The Chinese were worried about the impact of Skull delinquency in children

Cultural difference of language

• Language should understandable in an interface for the end user
• Googlr can speak 30 different languages
• Multiple languages in an interface allows people of every nation to understand it
• A user can select their language of origin in the Google application

Cultural Differences of Racial Diversity

• Racial Diversity means having a range of people with various racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds
• Many games are globally accessible so it must not be bias of different races
• In ‘Fortnite' there are four main types of character races, there are African American, White, Chinese and Mexican characters
• Having a diverse amount of characters, it adds personalization to the game and attracts users of all cultures

Cultural diversity by Festivals

• Festivals in an interface adds additional unique items in the program to commemorate a users culture
• Games are globally accessible and must not be biased to different cultures
• In ‘Fortnite' , there are almost every two weeks there is always some special events celebrating a popular or unpopular festival

Non-Visual Interfaces

• Non-visual interface is a computer program for visual impaired people to use the computers
• Non-visual includes touch and hearing
• The relationship between a non-visual interface and a HCI is that both needs/involves hand-eye coordination

Types of Non Visual Interfaces

• Pro Binding Source

Sensors

• Sensors are devices that measure physical or systematic input which is converted into a signal that is sent to a main control system where it can be interpreted by a human or computer interface

Types of Sensors

• Smoke sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensor
• Motion sensor, IR sensor, proximity sensor
• Light sensor

Accessibility Features

• Accessibility features are designed to help people with disabilities use technology more easily
• A text-to-speech feature reads text out loud and speech-recognition feature allows users with limited mobility to control the computer with their voice

Common Types of Accessibility Features

• Text-to-speech allow users to hear what's on the screen
• High-contrast themes and enlarged cursors easier for users with limited vision
• Closed-captioning helps to convey audio information to deaf users in visual form
• Mono audio systems transmit right and left audio signals through both earbuds and headphones

Accessibility and HCI

• Human–computer interaction (HCI) studies computer technology's design and use, focused on people (users) and computers
• HCI is the design for humans to interact with computers
• The features ensures the disabled can use technology more comfortably
• This relation enables better interaction with technology for the user.