Overview
ISO/IEC TR 11580:2007 provides a structured framework for describing user interface objects, actions and attributes. It defines a format and guidance to standardize names, properties and implementations across multiple applications and platforms and across modalities (graphical, audio, tactile, etc.). The report is intended primarily for developers of standards, style guides and architectures, and it also supports software developers and UX teams who need consistent, implementable UI element definitions.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO/IEC TR 11580 outlines the elements required to describe UI components in a consistent way. Key technical topics include:
- Modelling of objects, actions and attributes
- Definitions and relationships among objects (UI elements), actions (user behaviors) and attributes (data that describe or modify objects/actions).
- Common properties
- Internal identifiers: language-independent IDs for system recognition and interoperability.
- Information properties: labels, descriptions, states, uniqueness and understandability of labels, and standardized translations.
- Representation properties: textual, iconic, tonal, tactile/haptic representations and cultural/linguistic sensitivity.
- Operational properties: selection, activation, obtaining/ modifying values, remove/restore and separation of operations.
- Technical specifications: implementation guidance without mandating a programming model.
- Optional properties
- Attribute-specific details such as values, constraints, permitted/default values and structural relationships.
- Operation-specific properties including pre-conditions, post-conditions and error conditions.
- Multi-modality and accessibility considerations
- Guidance to implement objects/actions/attributes in any or all modalities, supporting accessibility and consistent cross-platform behavior.
Applications and who uses it
ISO/IEC TR 11580 is practical for:
- Standards developers creating UI vocabularies or interoperability profiles.
- UX architects and style‑guide authors establishing consistent UI semantics.
- Software developers and API designers implementing UI element libraries with clear internal identifiers and state models.
- Accessibility specialists mapping representations across modalities (visual, audio, tactile).
- Product teams that need consistent localization, iconography and behavior across platforms.
Practical uses include designing reusable UI libraries, improving internationalization/localization of labels and descriptions, defining accessibility mappings for icons and controls, and aligning cross-product UI behavior.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC TR 11580 is cited as a basis for icon-specific guidance in ISO/IEC 19766 and references UI terminology used in ISO 9241-171. These related standards complement the TR for specific accessibility and iconography guidance.
Keywords: ISO/IEC TR 11580, user interface objects, UI actions, UI attributes, UI standardization, internal identifiers, accessibility, multi‑modality, UX architecture.