Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The media-cubes [BLA 01], ICAP [SOH 06] and CAPella [DEY 04] tackle
similar problems regarding combining interaction resources, with the difficulty of
creating a productive alliance between the physical and digital worlds. Whereas in
Jigsaw the user manipulates the digital world, in other approaches, such as [HIN 00]
and DataTiles [REK 01] (see Figure 11.6b), the physical world comes first: for
example, in DataTiles, the composition of physical tiles enables the user to express
complex commands. The tiles are equipped with a radiofrequency identification
(RFID) sensor that enables them to be identified in a unique way, as in [KUB 09].
They are augmented with the display of numerical data. In [TAY 09], motion
defines the function of the object: the bar of soap becomes a telephone or a screen
depending on how it is held. However none of them includes a Whyline-like
development tool to support debugging [MYE 06].
UI adaptation to variability for the good of the human while supporting human
control is a challenging issue for UI plasticity.
11.3. User interface plasticity: user viewpoint
This section adopts the viewpoint of the user. It defines the property of plasticity
from the point of view of use and illustrates it in the field of transport.
11.3.1.
Definition
Generally speaking, the property of plasticity refers to the ability of an entity for
adaptation as the result of a change that has occurred in this entity or its
environment. In human-computer interaction (HCI), plasticity is defined as the
ability for
adaptation
of a UI to
a change in context of use
while respecting the
value
expected by the user [DÂA 07]. Three keywords structure this definition: the
notions of adaptation, context of use and value.
Context
is a set of information. This set is structured. It is shared, evolves, and
serves interpretation [WIN 01]. The nature of the information, and how it is
interpreted, depend on the finality. For UI plasticity, the finality is UI adaptation. As
a result, the
context of use
is defined as the <user, platform, environment > triplet
where:
- the user denotes the user of the interactive system. He can be described by his
skills in the application domain, ICT, etc., as well as by general data (age, size, etc.);
- the platform captures the hardware and software necessary for the interaction.
Typically, the input and output devices are to be considered;
