A three-layer meta-design model for addressing domain-specific customizations

Meta-design has been proposed as a model to design systems able to support End-User Development (EUD). Meta-design means "design for designers." Differently than in traditional design, professional developers do not directly create a final application, but they build software environments thorough which non-technical end users, acting as co-designers, are enabled to shape up the application while they are using it. Allowing end users to participate to the creation of their applications, by modifying or even creating from scratch software artifacts, is very challenging. To make this possible, end users have to be provided with software environments customized to their specific domain, which they can easily understand and use. In order to cope with domain specificity, this chapter presents a new meta-designmodel that specifically addresses the customization to a domain of interest. Customization, performed by domain experts possibly in collaboration with professional developers, becomes the key activity to provide non-technical end users with software environments that are adequate to their knowledge and needs, thus allowing them to actually become co-designers of their applications. The model is illustrated by describing its successful application to the design of a mashup platform that allows end users to create new applications by integrating data and functionality taken from different resources. The customization of the platform to different domains, such as CulturalHeritage and Technology Enhanced Learning, is discussed.