How to make touch screens usable September 22, 2011

1. How to make touch screens usable September 22, 2011 Stephen B. Wilcox, Ph.D., FIDSA Design Science Philadelphia

2. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you lose: • Curser icon as status display. • Double click. • Right click. • Small hand movement relative to screen distances. • Accuracy (although better with a stylus). • Freedom of user location relative to the screen. • Clean screen.

3. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you lose: • Curser icon as status display. • Double click. • Right click. • Small hand movement relative to screen distances. • Accuracy (although better with a stylus). • Freedom of user location relative to the screen. • Clean screen.

4. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you lose: • Curser icon as status display. • Double click. • Right click. • Small hand movement relative to screen distances. • Accuracy (although better with a stylus). • Freedom of user location relative to the screen. • Clean screen.

5. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you lose: • Curser icon as status display. • Double click. • Right click. • Small hand movement relative to screen distances. • Accuracy (although better with a stylus). • Freedom of user location relative to the screen. • Clean screen.

6. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you lose: • Curser icon as status display. • Double click. • Right click. • Small hand movement relative to screen distances. • Accuracy (although better with a stylus). • Freedom of user location relative to the screen. • Clean screen.

7. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you lose: • Curser icon as status display. • Double click. • Right click. • Small hand movement relative to screen distances. • Accuracy (although better with a stylus). • Freedom of user location relative to the screen. • Clean screen.

8. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you lose: • Curser icon as status display. • Double click. • Right click. • Small hand movement relative to screen distances. • Accuracy (although better with a stylus). • Freedom of user location relative to the screen. • Clean screen.

9. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you gain: • Intuitive functionality. • Speed (for simple tasks). • Elimination of other input devices.

10. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you gain: • Intuitive functionality. • Speed (for simple tasks). • Elimination of other input devices.

11. Is a touch screen the right choice? • What you gain: • Intuitive functionality. • Speed (for simple tasks). • Elimination of other input devices.

12. Is a touch screen the right choice? • Bottom line—touch screens work best with: • Novice users—where training is not possible. • Simple interaction. • Information retrieval rather than input. • Short-duration tasks. • Low frequency of use. • Low accuracy. • Few options.

13. Is a touch screen the right choice? • Bottom line—touch screens work best with: • Novice users—where training is not possible. • Simple interaction. • Information retrieval rather than input. • Short-duration tasks. • Low frequency of use. • Low accuracy. • Few options.

14. Is a touch screen the right choice? • Bottom line—touch screens work best with: • Novice users—where training is not possible. • Simple interaction. • Information retrieval rather than input. • Short-duration tasks. • Low frequency of use. • Low accuracy. • Few options.

15. Is a touch screen the right choice? • Bottom line—touch screens work best with: • Novice users—where training is not possible. • Simple interaction. • Information retrieval rather than input. • Short-duration tasks. • Low frequency of use. • Low accuracy. • Few options.

16. Is a touch screen the right choice? • Bottom line—touch screens work best with: • Novice users—where training is not possible. • Simple interaction. • Information retrieval rather than input. • Short-duration tasks. • Low frequency of use. • Low accuracy. • Few options.

17. Is a touch screen the right choice? • Bottom line—touch screens work best with: • Novice users—where training is not possible. • Simple interaction. • Information retrieval rather than input. • Short-duration tasks. • Low frequency of use. • Low accuracy. • Few options.

18. Is a touch screen the right choice? • Bottom line—touch screens work best with: • Novice users—where training is not possible. • Simple interaction. • Information retrieval rather than input. • Short-duration tasks. • Low frequency of use. • Low accuracy. • Few options.

19. Is touch-down or touch-release the best choice for selection? Faster and less cumbersome with touch down. More inherently intuitive with touch down. Cursor with touch release. Drag and drop with touch release. Error correction with touch release.

20. Is touch-down or touch-release the best choice for selection? Faster and less cumbersome with touch down. More inherently intuitive with touch down. Cursor with touch release. Drag and drop with touch release. Error correction with touch release.

21. Is touch-down or touch-release the best choice for selection? Faster and less cumbersome with touch down. More inherently intuitive with touch down. Cursor with touch release. Drag and drop with touch release. Error correction with touch release.

22. Is touch-down or touch-release the best choice for selection? Faster and less cumbersome with touch down. More inherently intuitive with touch down. Cursor with touch release. Drag and drop with touch release. Error correction with touch release.

23. Is touch-down or touch-release the best choice for selection? Faster and less cumbersome with touch down. More inherently intuitive with touch down. Cursor with touch release. Drag and drop with touch release. Error correction with touch release.

24. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? Make sure users know it’s a touch screen. Indicate “cursor” position (if touch release). Indicate selected item. Limit the number of alternatives. Provide an instant response.

25. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? Make sure users know it’s a touch screen. Indicate “cursor” position (if touch release). Indicate selected item. Limit the number of alternatives. Provide an instant response.

26. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? Make sure users know it’s a touch screen. Indicate “cursor” position (if touch release). Indicate selected item. Limit the number of alternatives. Provide an instant response.

27. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? Make sure users know it’s a touch screen. Indicate “cursor” position (if touch release). Indicate selected item. Limit the number of alternatives. Provide an instant response.

28. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? Make sure users know it’s a touch screen. Indicate “cursor” position (if touch release). Indicate selected item. Limit the number of alternatives. Provide an instant response.

29. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? (cont.) Group items to minimize hand movement—by function. Provide large controls—the largest index finger is about 1 inch wide (center-to-center distance is key). Rely more on pointing than on dragging. Minimize numeric and, particularly, text input.

30. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? (cont.) Group items to minimize hand movement—by function. Provide large controls—the largest index finger is about 1 inch wide (center-to-center distance is key). Rely more on pointing than on dragging. Minimize numeric and, particularly, text input.

31. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? (cont.) Group items to minimize hand movement—by function. Provide large controls—the largest index finger is about 1 inch wide (center-to-center distance is key). Rely more on pointing than on dragging. Minimize numeric and, particularly, text input.

32. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? (cont.) Group items to minimize hand movement—by function. Provide large controls—the largest index finger is about 1 inch wide (center-to-center distance is key). Rely more on pointing than on dragging. Minimize numeric and, particularly, text input.

33. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? (cont.) • Avoid: • Double clicks. • Drop-down menus. • Multiple windows. • Don’t forget that a medical device is not a cell phone.

34. What are the most important general usability requirements for the UI? (cont.) • Avoid: • Double clicks. • Drop-down menus. • Multiple windows. • Don’t forget that a medical device is not a cell phone.

35. What else should be considered with a touch-screen UI? Black shows fingerprints. Simple background patterns can reduce the effects of fingerprints and glare. It’s generally better to use the full screen. Left handers can be accommodated by left-right screen reversals.

36. What else should be considered with a touch-screen UI? Black shows fingerprints. Simple background patterns can reduce the effects of fingerprints and glare. It’s generally better to use the full screen. Left handers can be accommodated by left-right screen reversals.

37. What else should be considered with a touch-screen UI? Black shows fingerprints. Simple background patterns can reduce the effects of fingerprints and glare. It’s generally better to use the full screen. Left handers can be accommodated by left-right screen reversals.

38. What else should be considered with a touch-screen UI? Black shows fingerprints. Simple background patterns can reduce the effects of fingerprints and glare. It’s generally better to use the full screen. Left handers can be accommodated by left-right screen reversals.

39. What are the best options for item selection? Buttons—3 positions: neutral, selected, chosen. Arrow keys. Spin boxes. Radio buttons. Check-off boxes.

40. What are the best options for item selection? Buttons—3 positions: neutral, selected, chosen. Arrow keys. Spin boxes. Radio buttons. Check-off boxes.

41. What are the best options for item selection? Buttons—3 positions: neutral, selected, chosen. Arrow keys. Spin boxes. Radio buttons. Check-off boxes.

42. What are the best options for item selection? Buttons—3 positions: neutral, selected, chosen. Arrow keys. Spin boxes. Radio buttons. Check-off boxes.

43. What are the best options for item selection? Buttons—3 positions: neutral, selected, chosen. Arrow keys. Spin boxes. Radio buttons. Check-off boxes.

44. How do you increase the effective screen size? Larger virtual screen with a “keyhole”. Tabs.

45. How do you increase the effective screen size? Larger virtual screen with a “keyhole”. Tabs.

46. What’s important for hardware usability? Optimize for the hand and the eye—neutral arm position and normal to the line of sight. Choose the right type of touch screen technology. Keep the screen size manageable. 95% male shown (US/Europe)

47. What’s important for hardware usability? Optimize for the hand and the eye—neutral arm position and normal to the line of sight. Choose the right type of touch screen technology. Keep the screen size manageable.

48. What’s important for hardware usability? Optimize for the hand and the eye—neutral arm position and normal to the line of sight. Choose the right type of touch screen technology. Keep the screen size manageable.

49. What other UI principles are important? Assure intuitiveness/clarity of all screens. Provide clear guidance re: what can and should be done at each point. Clearly indicate what’s a control and what isn’t. Use redundant coding, particularly if color coding is used.

50. What other UI principles are important? Assure intuitiveness/clarity of all screens. Provide clear guidance re: what can and should be done at each point. Clearly indicate what’s a control and what isn’t. Use redundant coding, particularly if color coding is used.