Object-Oriented User Interface Customization: Reduce Complexity and Improve Usability and Adaptation

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to improve the usability and adaptation of complex information system (CIS) by reducing the complexity. The paper introduces CIS, the complexity of CIS, usability and adaptation issues of CIS, and potential solutions for these issues. Research suggests User Interface (UI) customization can address usability and adaptation issues in CIS. This research proposes the Object-Oriented User Interface Customization (OOUIC) framework to reduce the complexity of CIS, in order to improve the usability and adaptation. The OOUIC approach suggests that classifying users by user roles, e.g., job roles, can reduce the complexity. Use Case Analysis (UCA) can identify actors (job roles) and use cases (goals, tasks, and functions) to develop use case diagrams, tasks diagrams, and function models. Based on model-driven modeling, the mapping between use case diagrams, task diagrams, and function models enables automatic selection of abstract UI and development of concrete UI for each job role. Building connections between vendor UI (V-UI) and concrete UI to generate the adaptable vendor-free UI (MyUI) can ensure the reuse of UI customization on whichever V-UI. The efficiency, robustness, and maintainability of the method had been justified in previous studies. This research proposes a two-phase study by using the product lifecycle management (PLM) system as an example to illustrate that the framework can reduce complexity and improve usability and adaptation.