New ISO/IEC draft on a technical framework for user interface personalization and adaptation

Dear APA members (and other Web experts),

 

as mentioned in our call yesterday, attached is an overview (table of
contents) of a brand-new draft of the international standard ISO/IEC 24752-8
on User Interface Resource Framework.  This standard is planned to undergo a
Committee Draft (CD) vote under ISO/IEC JTC1 SC35 soon.  

 

The standard specifies a technical framework for describing the various
pieces of context of use (user, task, equipment, environment) which are the
basis for adapting user interfaces at runtime. (Note: We talk about
"personalization" when aspects of the user context (i.e. their preferences
and needs) are considered, but the other context pieces are also important,
e.g. for responsiveness to device characteristics and situations of use.)
The standard also specifies how user interface resources can be described by
key-value pairs.  The terms for the various descriptions are not specified
in this standard, but can be taken from any other vocabulary or standard
(e.g. Dublin Core, Schema.org, IMS, ISO/IEC 24751).  

 

The standard covers formats (in JSON and XML) and REST APIS on the
following:

-          User context (aka "user interface preferences" or "needs and
preference set")

-          Task context (what the user is doing)

-          Equipment context (what devices the user is using)

-          Environment context (in what situation the user is interacting
with the system)

-          Resource description (user interface resources to be used for
personalization)

-          List of resource descriptions (matching a specific user context,
task context, equipment context, environment context and other matching
parameters)

 

In a nutshell, the standard provides for a cross-platform technical
framework for matching user interface resources to contexts at runtime. User
interface resources can be specific settings for platforms and applications,
or they can be digital resources for augmentation or substitution of user
interfaces (e.g. sign language videos, alternative icons, pictograms, help
videos, etc.).

 

If you are interested in reviewing this standard and giving feedback, please
let me know and I will be happy to send you the complete standard draft (as
the editor).

 

Best regards,

Gottfried

 

PS: There is another standard (ISO/IEC 24751-1) specifying how terms for the
description of user contexts (aka "needs and preference sets"), of other
context aspects and of user interface resources can be registered on a
registry server.  That standard is also currently under revision. 

 

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 Prof. Dr. Gottfried Zimmermann

Mobile User Interaction

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