From User Interfaces for All to an Information Society for All: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The radical innovation in Information Technology and Telecommunications, the ever-growing demand for information access, and the proliferation of computers across the different industry sectors and application domains, are the driving forces of the on-going paradigm shift towards an Information Society. Such an evolution brings about radical implications on the current and future HCI research focus and agenda. Firstly, it becomes increasingly complex for designers to know a priori the profiles of the users, and, therefore, it becomes necessary to design for the broadest possible end-user population. This raises implications on design methodology and instruments, as well as on the technical and user perceived qualities to be delivered. Secondly, designers should progressively adapt their thinking to facilitate a shift from designing tools for productivity improvement, to designing computer-mediated environments of use. Finally, another challenge lies in shaping the construction of novel communication spaces. It is more than likely that no single design solution, analogy or metaphor will be adequate for all potential users or computer-mediated human activities. Design will increasingly entail the articulation of diverse concepts, deeper knowledge and more powerful representations to describe the broader range and scope of interaction patterns and phenomena.