Prefab: What if Every GUI were Open-Source?

Abstract

Current methods for implementing graphical user interfaces create fundamental challenges for HCI research and practice. Researchers are often unable to demonstrate or evaluate new techniques beyond small toy applications, and practitioners are often unable to adopt methods from the literature in new and existing applications. This position statement examines a vision in which anybody can modify any GUI of any application, similar to a scenario where every GUI of every application is open-source. We are currently working to enable this vision through our development of Prefab, using pixel-based interpretation of GUIs to enable modification of those GUIs without any cooperation from the underlying application. We see participation in the FLOSS HCI workshop as valuable in at least two regards. First, fully realizing this vision will likely require a community-based approach, so we are interested in Prefab as a platform for collaboration between HCI researchers and the FLOSS community. Second, enabling arbitrary modification of any GUI would seem to blur many current distinctions between open and closed applications, introducing new research questions and further magnifying the importance of the workshop's focus.