Adaptable Interfaces

by KEVIN SILVER :: APR 26, 2007 :: COMMENTS (0)

One of the most interesting presentations at the IA Summit was on Creating Adaptable Interfaces by Stephen Anderson. Adaptable interfaces learn or inuit usage patterns of users to better meet the users goals and needs. Simply, this can range from: auto-resizing a text-box to fit all of the user's typed in content, creating worn paths on a web page, or rolling-up the directions from your home to the highway when using Google Maps to get directions "after the 50th time".

When I was in San Francisco this last weekend, I came across on the of the new Wells Fargo ATMs. Besides having a clean look, the new interface included a nice piece of adaptable behavior: it remembered and presented to me as an option my last withdrawal amount under Get Cash. While this isn't earth shattering, it is very convenient because I typically withdraw the same amount of cash.

Apparently these new ATM's have been rolled out in Northern California. The new interfaces also allow users to customize the quick cash amounts as well, but this is simply a preference and not an adaptable feature as Stephen defined it.

To enable adaptable functionality systems will have to remember the usage patterns of their users. This does cause some privacy concerns in certain contexts. I'm not sure if this is much of a concern for a bank, they already are charged with keeping track of your interactions: withdrawals, deposits, etc... Kudos to Wells Fargo for implementing adaptable functionality in their ATM interface.

Has anyone used an adaptable interface lately?

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