Exploring the effects of size on deformable user interfaces

Abstract

Deformable user interfaces have received increasing attention in recent HCI research. However, the effect of device size on deformable user interfaces has not been studied yet. This study is aimed to investigate how the size of a deformable device affects users' interaction behavior and preferences. We observed users interacting with deformable mockup displays of two different sizes. Overall, 36 participants provided 769 user-defined gestures for 11 basic commands. We compared and discussed users' preferences toward two different sizes of deformable devices. We also covered user-defined gestures and patterns of use for each device size. As a preliminary study for understanding form factors for designing deformable user interfaces, this study clearly show that the device size is an important factor to consider when designing mobile devices which can be deformed.