Tools and architectural support for crowdsourced adaptation of web interfaces

Abstract

There is a vast body of research dealing with the development of context-aware web applications that can adapt to different screen and user contexts. However, the range and growing diversity of devices used for web access makes it increasingly difficult for developers to provide a design and layout that adapts well to every client. To address this, we propose a crowdsourcing approach that allows developers to define a default web interface suitable for many devices and enables the crowd, i.e. other developers or even non-technical end-users, to adapt it to particular use contexts. We present an architecture for creating and sharing adaptations as well as suggesting and applying these in matching contexts. In addition, we discuss the underlying crowdsourcing principles and present a set of visual tools that facilitate the adaptation process. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.