User Interface Adaptation and Design for All
Constantine Stephanidis · 2024
Design for All is the proactive application of principles, methods and appropriate tools, in order to develop interactive products and services that are accessible and usable by all citizens. The concept of user interface adaptation originated in the 90’s in the context of early approaches to the automation of user interface design and development, as well as the development of user interfaces exhibiting intelligent behavior, but has been extensively applied as a technical solution to achieve Design for All through the provision of UIs capable of automatic self-adaptation to the needs and requirements of users with diverse needs, abilities and preferences. This chapter discusses a series of UI adaptation tools and components that have been developed over the past two decades and applied in various research and development projects. These tools have been applied in a number of pilot applications and case studies, including applications in novel domains such as assistive robots and driver assistance systems, and have demonstrated the technical feasibility of an adaptation-based approach to Design for All. This chapter concludes with a discussion of AI-based approaches to UI adaptation and of the new opportunities for wider adoption of adaptation-based UIs, which emerge in this context.