Model Driven User Interfaces

In 2023, putting a User Interface (UI) on the front end of Pipi 9 has been challenging. I wanted it to be

  • Model-driven
  • Adaptive to the users' device
  • Automated
  • Meet the individual needs of each logged-on user

Resources used

IFML

Interaction Flow Modelling Language (IFML) is an abstract user interface (AUI) modelling language adopted as a standard by the OMG in March 2013. IFML supports;
  • UI general structure
  • Content
  • Events
  • Event handlers
  • I/O parameters bound to specific view components

CAMELEON Reference Framework (CRF)

The FP5 CAMELEON (Context Aware Modeling for Enabling and Leveraging Effective interactiON) project was carried out by a consortium of universities and research groups in the EU from about 2000-2010?? CHAMELEON has three layers: Abstract UI, Concrete UI and Final UI.


UIDL

User Interface Description Language (UIDL) examples include
  • Maria XML
  • usiXML
  • UIML
  • XUL
  • XAML
  • WasabiXML

W3C Model-based UI Incubator



Architectural Decisions

  • The USI engine is in charge
  • Use Workflow Patterns to describe/breakdown tasks
  • Use IFML to describe the AUI layer
  • Keep the usiXML version of CUI and FUI layers
  • Use Open-sourced UI Component Libraries to  populate CUI and FUI
  • I added two more layers: a Locale UI and a Personalisation UI.
  • The UI generator process is DDD > Wfl > AUI > CUI > FUI > LUI > PUI
  • CAMELEON was initially meant to run both ways. I made it generative only, driven by DDD workflows.
  • Use Design Tokens with a CCS framework to make "look" highly tweakable.

Current Status

  • All the different layers work independently but don't work together.
  • Initial user testing is with hand-built web pages.
  • HTML 4 and HTML 5 will be the initial output.
  • Once basic assumptions have been tested and corrected, live pages will be produced for testing, working backwards from PUI to AUI.
  • I'm using the namespace engine (NSP) to reorganise the 30+ internal systems of the USI engine into compartments.

User Testing

Assuming every person is unique, allowing for personalisation. W3C WCAG 2.1 is the standard. Accessibility testing is underway in English for

  • Braille Devices for the Deaf-Blind
  • Screen Readers
  • Screen Magnifiers
  • Low Vision
  • Irlen's
  • Colour Blindness
  • Dyslexia
  • Autism
  • Epilepsy
  • Synethesia
  • Older adults requiring simpler UI
  • Muscular Dystrophy (large buttons)
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