Structural user preferences of interfaces and time orientation

Abstract

Today the user orientation within the development process of user interfaces in production environment is concentrated on tasks. This is realized by focusing on user groups. To enhance the usability of user interfaces, the development process is expanded by the personalization of user interfaces. Thus user preferences and their attributes e.g. individual differences concerning the structure of interfaces have to be examined for being able to develop appropriate interfaces for specific users. Different test methods to gain these preferences and attributes are described within this paper. The found structural preferences can be connected to the concept of time orientation: it classifies people in two different categories: polychrons and monochrons. The test results confirm that these characteristic are rather individual differences than intercultural variables. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.