The GUIDE Project
The GUIDE project was a European research collaboration that developed ways to make digital television and connected home services easier to use for older adults and people with disabilities. Its researchers worked on adaptive interfaces for connected TVs and set-top boxes, combining personalised settings with choices such as remote-control, speech and tablet input.
The project ran from February 2010 to January 2013 under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Fraunhofer coordinated the collaboration under grant agreement 248893. European Commission project record (external site)
What problem did GUIDE set out to solve?
GUIDE addressed a problem that emerged as televisions began to offer online services alongside broadcast channels. A person could use the same screen to find programmes, make a video call or control devices at home, but those services could be difficult to navigate from a sofa with a standard remote. The research scope explains how vision, hearing, movement and attention shaped the design brief.
What did GUIDE build?
GUIDE developed an adaptation framework, a user model and a simulator that let designers explore how an interface might work for people with different abilities. A documented prototype paired an initial profile setup with a video-calling demonstration. Explore the planned outputs and the prototypes and user trials for the evidence behind each. EuroITV 2012 proceedings (external site)
Where can you find the GUIDE research?
The GUIDE publications bring together papers on accessible digital TV, interface adaptation and user simulation. The project deliverables catalogue requirements, reports and prototype records from the original website. Developers looking for practical examples can start with the accessible TV design guide.
This site is an independent historical resource. The project consortium page identifies the organisations behind the original research.