The Plug‑In project, carried out from 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2023, aimed to create a local technical platform that delivers self‑adaptive human‑device interfaces for household appliances. QuinScape GmbH was responsible for Subproject IV, which focused on a flexible interface builder kit, reasoning logic, value‑added services and device integration. The platform’s core idea is to reduce interface complexity by assembling personalized, transparent interaction surfaces from a library of composable elements, thereby enabling a gradual, mutual learning process between users and devices.

Technically, the team identified four main categories of interface elements: general usage elements, informative elements, configuration elements, and graphical elements. Each category was decomposed into individual components to form the basis of a generator that can automatically compose suitable interfaces. General usage elements include standard buttons, text fields and cards. Cards serve as single‑color background blocks that can host menu structures; a main‑menu button is rendered as a card with an icon and label, while submenu buttons are represented by a colored border around the content. Informative elements comprise calendars, lists, a settings overview and progress bars. The settings overview is a long card containing text, buttons, icons and a progress bar; tapping a button opens a submenu where a parameter can be adjusted, and a final button starts or cancels the action on the appliance. Configuration elements provide mechanisms for changing numeric or binary parameters. Two unit‑selection widgets were implemented: a scale with two side buttons and a central text that displays the current value, designed to be easily readable for older users; and a conventional slider with a grip, track and labeled units. A toggle button allows binary settings to be switched, changing its background color to reflect the current state. Graphical elements, although not detailed in the excerpt, were also defined to support visual feedback.

The reasoning component, implemented as a software module, integrates user, usage and environmental data to select and assemble the appropriate interface from the pre‑designed elements. By the end of the project, the plugin system was prototypically fully functional, and a test operation was established that continues beyond the project’s official end date, with data collection still ongoing as of October 2023. This extended operation provides additional experience for evaluating the plugin’s performance and usability in real‑world contexts.

Collaboration involved the Technical University of Dortmund and Hochschule Hamm‑Lippstadt, which organized participatory workshops (AP 1). Due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, the planned six workshops were reduced to three, yet they covered mock‑ups and prototype discussions. QuinScape worked closely with the university partners, contributing expertise in design and implementation. In AP 2, Hochschule Hamm‑Lippstadt, with QuinScape’s support, identified the four element categories and iteratively refined them based on user feedback from the workshops. The project was funded under the grant number 16SV8452, and the overall objective was to deliver a plug‑in platform that offers self‑adaptive, personalized interfaces for household devices, thereby simplifying interaction for users of all ages and technical backgrounds.