User Modeling Meets Usability Goals

It has long been recognized that systems based on user modeling and adaptivity are associated with a number of typical usability problems—which sometimes outweigh the benefits of adaptation. This talk will show that the anticipation and prevention of usability side effects should form an essential part of the iterative design of user-adaptive systems, just as the consideration of medical side effects plays a key role in the development of new medications. This strategy requires a comprehensive understanding of the reasons for typical usability problems and of strategies for preventing them.