Layered Interfaces

1
Layered Interfaces

• Promoting Universal Usability
• with Multi-Layer Interface Design
• Ben Shneiderman
• presented at
• ACM Conferences on Universal Usability (CUU)
• November 2003

2
Universal Usability

• Make info systems usable by normal people
• Began with helping disabled, spread to all people
• Too complex
• Unreliable, crashes common
• Differences in device capabilites
• Remove digital divide
• Most gaps in info system usage statistics are
  gone
• Still a large gap based on economics
• In US 15 for poor vs. 80 rich
• Governments getting involved in removing
• 'Simputer' project in India

3
Evolutionary Interfaces

• Designed to help novice learners
• Change cababilities/content based on predictive
  models of the user(s)
• Example Menus in Windows XP
• Successful in novel settings, such as internet
  commerce
• Example Recommender systems
• Users hate for most applications
• When done without notice, causes confusion
• When prompted, users find distracting
• Continuity and control are preferred

4
Multi-Layer Concepts

• Keep good aspects of evolutionary
• Easy for novices to use
• Add additional features so it isn't awful
• Progress is structured
• Change is voluntary
• Parallels progress in non-computer areas
• Foreign languages, martial arts
• Also similar to structure of most video games
• Start with training wheels, work up to full
  version
• Users gain a sense of accomplishment from
  mastering each layer

5
Types of Layering
6
Example Layered Designs

• Start with most basic possible operations
• No error messages in first few layers (?!?)
• Early layers feature lots of animation and
  non-technical feeling widgets
• Sticky notes
• Integrated initial guidance
• Video tutorials
• Animated level transitions
• User controls progression to higher levels by
  means of sliders

7
Problems with Layered Designs

• May be hard to define distinct layers for some
  applications
• Confusion about moving between layers
• Marketing/designer resistance to hiding features
• Does not address device independence concerns of
  universal usability
• Some features may require significant development
  for limited returns