Some new components for an automatic user for testing human-computer interfaces

Abstract

It would be useful to have a computer-aided design tool to to test interfaces. A way to apply knowledge about users is to create a model user. This talk reports progress on creating important components of such a system: models of different types of users, simulated eyes and hands, an integrated development environment for user models, a user model compiler, and displays of model behavior. An example application of these components suggest that cell phone design could be improved by up to 30%, and that modeling can be made more usable through application of compilers and general HCI principles.