Switch: exploring the design of application and configuration switching at tabletops

In all but the purest appliance interfaces, users need some of the fundamental core facilities for general computing interface elements: to change applications; change the files the application uses; and control which interface elements are present on the table. While these facilities have been refined for desktops, the particular affordances and limitations of tabletops call for a rethink of the interfaces for these actions. We describe the design process for Switch, which supports the core functions of application and configuration switching at an interactive tabletop. We began with several low-fidelity prototypes, evaluating these to a refined set of four. We then evaluated each of these using Heuristic Evaluation with 4 experts and Cognitive Walkthrough by 5 experts. From this, we created the final Switch design which we evaluated for usability with a think-aloud study by 8 users. We conclude that Switch is easy to learn and use for the core facilities for general computing. We reflect on lessons learnt and directions for the future. Our key contributions are the exploration of user interface support for a set of the most fundamental core facilities for general computing at tabletops, our use of these to design the Switch tool and our usability evaluation of Switch, providing a foundation for the design of the core user interface elements that will enable people to make flexible use of tabletops.