Using interface preferences as evidence of user identity: A feasibility study

Research on human-computer interaction currently focuses on enhancing system usability by establishing an appropriate user interface (UI) that depends on users’ features. Online users typically have different perceptions of their favored interface design depending on their preferences. Thus, those interface preferences could be utilized to recognize online users’ identities. User authentication is another critical issue that should be considered to improve online security mechanisms without compromising usability. This study investigates the feasibility of using UI preferences as evidence of user identity. The proposed method applies to the design preferences of users dealing with online systems (e.g., e-exam and e-banking). These preferences are closely associated with individual characteristics, whether physical, cognitive, psychological, psychomotor, demographic, or experience based. Many design characteristics could be used in online systems; for example, the e-exam interface design may use features such as the font (size, color, and face), the number of questions per page, background color, questions group, timer type, and sound alert. The feasibility evaluation of this study indicated that 96.8% of research participants have variations in their preferences, and each participant kept 94.5% of their design preferences throughout different sessions.