Avoiding Interference Through Translucent Interface Components in Single Display Groupware

Ana Zanella & Saul GreenbergUniversity of Calgary

The message

Translucent interface components can be

used in Single Display Groupware to help

minimize interference among users.

SDG Configurations

co-located

shared

display

multiple

input devices

Interference

Interference

Minimizing Interference

Translucent widgets: popup menus

Translucent Opaque

Research Question

Can people in Single Display Groupware

effectively use translucent interface

components in high interference

situations?

User Study

SDG “connect the dots” game

Player

Interferer

Solo

Opaque

Translucent

User Study

Users’ satisfaction

solo translucen

t

opaque

Time1 Time2,

#overlapping2

Time3,

#overlapping3

Time22, Time23,

#overlapping2

3

Time24,

#overlapping2

4

sets

1

8

… ………

Results - Users’ Satisfaction

How do the translucent menus affect your task compared to opaque menus ?

Easier Same Harder

28 2 0

Player

Results - Users’ Satisfaction

How do the translucent menus affect your task compared to opaque menus ?

Easier Same Harder

0 5 25

Interferer

Results – Average Times Solo < Translucent < Opaque

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Game

Tim

e

Solo

Translucent

Opaque

Results - Overlapping

0

4

8

12

16

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Game

Inte

rfe

ren

ce

Translucent

OpaqueOverlapping

No overlapping

Conclusion

Translucent interface components can be used in

Single Display Groupware to help minimize

interference among users.

People like them

People perform faster

Full paper in ECSCW

http://www.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/grouplab/papers/