Prototyping New Interaction Style - a case study on designing deformable mobile devices

Abstract

This is a project-based thesis work initiated by Nokia Research Center. The goal of this project is to investigate deformable user interfaces (DUIs) on mobile devices. Following background studies and identification of the research questions, various design methodologies were developed to encounter the new interaction style. An exploratory experiment was designed to study the role of form in DUI design. The purpose is to find insights from people’s instinct and tactile sense and to study dimensional properties on flexible materials. Another workshop was arranged so that experts in design and engineering experienced a whole design process for bridging form factors and applications with interaction. During the workshop, the context which is the detaching of touch interface users with the immediate environment was studied. Through these two activities, a set of design cues for deformable mobile devices was thus derived.

The method of research through design has been the backbone of this thesis work. Numerous prototypes were implemented as physical representation of the hypotheses in each stage. At last, a working prototype was constructed. Consisting of a flexible mobile device and an information system, the prototype enables deformable interaction with information distributed in the space. A set of user test was conducted accordingly. Through these design activities, the role of form factors in mobile DUIs was examined. Moreover, it can be concluded that physical deformation in DUIs results in more engaging experiences than touch interfaces.