Thesis
Designing effective interface configurations in touchscreen eyes-free interaction
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2023
- Thesis identifier
- T16629
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201858627
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- Smartphones are considered ubiquitous in our daily life, allowing us to conveniently manipulate data while simultaneously performing other tasks. Unfortunately, our interaction with smartphone interfaces can act as a distraction from other activities which could put the user at risk. Without unique tactile cues on the touchscreen, the users are forced to devote more attention to carrying out their task at hand. Interface design for eyes-free interaction with a featureless screen is therefore a highly challenging, and informative approach. By simplifying and optimising menu layout patterns and understanding how to locate and memorise active touchpoints, there is an opportunity to create touchscreen interfaces that harness innate human abilities and product affordances, allowing the reduction of levels of visual attention. Therefore, this research aims to enhance understanding of human cognitive abilities that are proprioception and spatial memory to deliver a framework and guidelines that help support effective eyes-free interface configurations of touchscreen surfaces. The configuration of interface elements in relation to thumb motion under the mobile screen frame and human spatial memory become key aspects to be considered in designing an eyes-free interface for one-handed mobile interaction. The interface prototypes were developed to test for certain qualities of design. Two experiments are conducted to test the performance accuracy of interfaces caused by spatial memory and proprioception. Participants need to memorise the visual interface which has been viewed before imagining a relative spatial layout and tap on a match position of the target with tactile sense on the unseen flat mobile screen. Insight from the experimental findings brought about the development of the design framework suggesting key interface configuration characteristics to synergise the strengths of spatial memory and proprioception. These include horizontal alignment, structure with even button spacing, unified layout, middle segmentation, symmetry in a square, and proximity to the device frame within a comfortable thumb range. Following the development of this novel conceptual framework, design guidelines were then developed to support the practitioner to configure the eyes-free interfaces to attain high accuracy and efficiency. In the practical study, three novel application layouts were proposed and evaluated. In addition, interviews with experienced user interface designers were conducted for insights into the suitability of the design framework and design guidelines. The fundamentals in this thesis have the potential to be used in designing touchscreen layouts allowing better interaction with smartphones with a low level of visual attention. This thesis demonstrates a contribution to knowledge through the development and application of eyes-free interface prototypes.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Wodehouse, Andrew
- Mehnen, Jörn
- Resource Type
- DOI
- Date Created
- 2022
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PDF of thesis T16629 | 2023-06-20 | Public | Download |