A Model Driven Framework Enabling the Development of Standardized Text-Free User Interface for Smartphones

Smartphones offer a wide range of applications globally, and usability is a key factor in their quality. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) continuously evolves to enhance usability by improving user interface (UI) components. However, most UI trends are designed for literate users, neglecting a significant portion of the population who cannot read or write. These users often rely on others for assistance with smartphone applications, and text-based UIs hinder their learning and usage, reducing overall usability. This research addresses the limitations of text-based standards by introducing a standardized framework for developing text-free user interfaces for smartphones. The framework utilizes static and dynamic images instead of text to convey widget or button functions, aiming to enhance usability for illiterate users, including preschoolers. Developed with Obeo Designer and Sirius, the framework's Platform Independent Metamodel (PIM) was validated through case studies representing the target user groups. Future work involves Model to Text (M2T) transformation, and results show the framework's potential for automating applications with text-free UIs.