An Optimized GUI Based On Users' Abilities

Ostracus writes "Researchers at the University of Washington have recently developed a system, which, for the first time, offers an instantly customizable approach to user interfaces. Each participant in the program is placed through a brief skills test, and then a mathematically-based version of the user interface optimized for his or her vision and motor abilities is generated. The current off-the-shelf designs are especially discouraging for the disabled, the elderly and others who have trouble controlling a mouse, because most computer programs have standardized button sizes, fonts, and layouts, which are designed for typical users."

Re:Existing support for scaling the UI

[MichaelSmith]

I have athralgia which prevents me from using a mouse.

I had to google that. Have you tried using a mouse with the left hand rather than the right? I changed over when I had a lot of pain in my right hand. I know that your problem may not be RSI related its just that I find the left handed configuration to be more balanced, which reduces the stress on the right hand.

Re:Tech support

[Saysys]

It should have no functional impact on tech support. It's not like someone with CP needs the start control panel to be only accessible through a right-click on the desk top.

"By contrast, a woman with muscular dystrophy who participated in the study used both hands to move a mouse. She could make very precise movements but moved the cursor very slowly and with great effort because of weak muscles. Based on her results, Supple automatically generated an interface with small buttons and a compressed layout."

Re:GUI hygiene

[ben0207]

Try a Mac. I'm not saying 100% of apps use the normal interface bits, but certainly most.

Re:Existing support for scaling the UI

[Anonymous Coward]

many mouse drivers have a snap to buttons effect you can turn on. whenever you roll near a button it has a bit of gravity to help prevent overshoot.

Re:Let me help

[0xygen]

Funnily enough, I had this yesterday, only to discover THE MESSAGE IS RIGHT!

I plugged in the USB keyboard, the backlight came on, I pressed F1, and the machine booted.

Motherboard is an Abit IP 35 Pro with BIOS USB Keyboard support enabled for disbelievers who want to try it...

Re:Microsoft already tried this

[GeckoAddict]

If anyone is interested, Microsoft had a pretty interesting presentation at MIX [msdn.com] that they posted on the web. They talk about all the usability and UI research that they did on Office 2003 that caused them to develop the ribbon for 2007, and then they spend some time talking about how they came up with the idea and worked out the details of the ribbon.

It's an interesting presentation if you work on UI design and have some time, or are curious as to why the hell they went to the ribbon.

Identifying OS by Color

[troll8901]

... can you first tell me the color of the small yellow square ...

Interesting! I've never thought of this.

Green rectangle with "Start" - Windows XP.
Blue(?) circle - Windows Vista.
Grey rectangle with "Start" - Windows 2000 or XP Classic.
Grey rectangle with no words - GNOME.
None/Black border - Sugar.
None/Multicoloured long rectangle - Macintosh.

Anyone knows KDE or others? XP and Vista Themes?

Re:Let me help

[JaBob]

PS/2 keyboards could be hot plugged once the BIOS handed over control of the computer to the OS. But if you set the computer to ignore the missing keyboard and just continue booting, then you were out of luck until you power cycled the computer with a keyboard plugged in. I don't remember if DIN keyboards had the same functionality, so someone else could chime in on that one.

Re:Let me help

[skolima]

That's because if you don't have a keyboard, your PC is kind of useless. (not counting headless systems operated by SSL)

I may be strange, but I prefer SSH...