Designing usable mobile interfaces for spatial data

Abstract

This dissertation deals mainly with the discipline of Human-­‐Computer Interaction (HCI), with particular attention on the role that it plays in the domain of modern mobile devices. Mobile devices today offer a crucial support to a plethora of daily activities for nearly everyone. Ranging from checking business mails while traveling, to accessing social networks while in a mall, to carrying out business transactions while out of office, to using all kinds of online public services, mobile devices play the important role to connect people while physically apart. Modern mobile interfaces are therefore expected to improve the user's interaction experience with the surrounding environment and offer different adaptive views of the real world. The goal of this thesis is to enhance the usability of mobile interfaces for spatial data. Spatial data are particular data in which the spatial component plays an important role in clarifying the meaning of the data themselves. Nowadays, this kind of data is totally widespread in mobile applications. Spatial data are present in games, map applications, mobile community applications and office automations. In order to enhance the usability of spatial data interfaces, my research investigates on two major issues: 1. Enhancing the visualization of spatial data on small screens 2. Enhancing the text-­‐input methods I selected the Design Science Research approach to investigate the above research questions. The idea underling this approach is “you build artifact to learn from it”, in other words researchers clarify what is new in their design. The new knowledge carried out from the artifact will be presented in form of interaction design patterns in order to support developers in dealing with issues of mobile interfaces. The thesis is organized as follows. Initially I present the broader context, the research questions and the approaches I used to investigate them. Then the results are split into two main parts. In the first part I present the visualization technique called Framy. The technique is designed to support users in visualizing geographical data on mobile map applications. I also introduce a multimodal extension of Framy obtained by adding sounds and vibrations. After that I present the process that turned the multimodal interface into a means to allow visually impaired users to interact with Framy. Some projects involving the design principles of Framy are shown in order to demonstrate the adaptability of the technique in different contexts. The second part concerns the issue related to text-­‐input methods. In particular I focus on the work done in the area of virtual keyboards for mobile devices. A new kind of virtual keyboard called TaS provides users with an input system more efficient and effective than the traditional QWERTY keyboard. Finally, in the last chapter, the knowledge acquired is formalized in form of interaction design patterns. [edited by author]