David Ahlström
ABSTRACT
We consider different hierarchical menu and toolbar-like interface designs from a theoretical perspective and show how a model based on visual search time, pointing time, decision time and expertise development can assist in understanding and predicting interaction performance. Three hierarchical menus designs are modelled -- a traditional pull-down menu, a pie menu and a novel Square Menu with its items arranged in a grid -- and the predictions are validated in an empirical study. The model correctly predicts the relative performance of the designs -- both the eventual dominance of Square Menus compared to traditional and pie designs and a performance crossover as users gain experience. Our work shows the value of modelling in HCI design, provides new insights about performance with different hierarchical menu designs, and demonstrates a new high-performance menu type.
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Index Terms
- Why it's quick to be square: modelling new and existing hierarchical menu designs
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