The FirstSearch user interface architecture: universal access for any user, in many languages, on any platform

ABSTRACT

The OCLC FirstSearch® service allows users to search for bibliographic and full text records in over 80 online databases. Web-based, FirstSearch was designed to adapt to unexpected user needs, platform considerations, languages, and changing requirements. The many unknowns during development necessitated an architecture that would allow many types of contributors to modify the interface easily and frequently. For example, marketing, documentation, and user interface designers edited the strings used in the interface, including translation; and user interface and graphic designers edited the screen layout. Structured initialization files with a simple convention for adapting to specific users, platforms, languages, etc., allowed continual broadening of the accessibility of the system without complicating the overall architecture.

The paper begins with a discussion of the general requirements for FirstSearch (multi-platform, multi-lingual, levels of users, low-end hardware, accessible) and the need for better coordination of contributions from the FirstSearch team. The architecture is then described, which partitions the specification of the interface into platform - specific, language-specific, and language/platform independent functional components. The user interface, in the form of Web pages, is then generated dynamically (although it would also be possible to generate static pages). The paper ends with a discussion of experiences with the changes to the interface and a cost-benefit analysis of the architecture, with the overall conclusion that addressing many accessibility issues in the architecture facilitated individual accessibility issues.

REFERENCES

• 1: Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., The mythical man-month (anniversary ed.), Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1995
• 2: Hysell, D. & Perlman, G. Lessons Learned from Internationalizing a Global Resource, in G. Prabhu & E. delGaldo (Eds.) Designing for Global Markets, 1999, 183-192.
• 3: Gary Perlman, Coordinating consistency of user interfaces, code, online help, and documentation with multilingual/multitarget software specification, Coordinating user interfaces for consistency, Academic Press Professional, Inc., San Diego, CA, 1989
• 4: Gary Perlman, CHI 99 SIG: universal web access: delivering services to everyone, ACM SIGCHI Bulletin, v.31 n.4, p.53-54, Oct. 1999 [doi>10.1145/339290.339303]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques
          Subjects: User interfaces

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.3 Information Search and Retrieval
          Subjects: Search process
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY
      K.4.2 Social Issues
          Subjects: Assistive technologies for persons with disabilities

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors, Management, Performance, Theory

Keywords:
accessibility, customization, declarative interface specification, disabilities, diversity, globalization, group and individual differences, handicapped, i18n, impairment, intercultural