When “Digital” means “Fingers”.

Posted on February 27, 2007 by Tuesday Creative
Design, Tech

In the last 2 years, there have been some advances in touch screen technology (or at last certain applications of it) that will invariably change the way we interact with computers, devices and each other.

I have often wondered when something like the Minority Report style UI’s would come into everyday use. Where the user needs only their hands (or other appendage) to direct any given device. Being able to use both hands without the cumbersome pointing devices in use today is an enticing thought. This prospect is very interesting because as a designer I have had to make quite a few UI’s for various things from sites to games to kiosks. Hardware is usually the first limitation.

After watching the Adobe and MS demos on YouTube some months ago, the Apple iPhone demo that allows 2-point gesturing and the JazzMutant’s Lemur Audio Controller, it appears this technology is here today (or at least a few months off). There are some simpler implementations of this already in use - Bank ATMS, and Meteorologists use them now. If you haven’t yet, check out the videos. There’s a quiz later.

I wanted to open for discussion this topic of UI’s in the next 18-24 months and how what we do as designers will change as this technology becomes more available and / or required.

Canovo Dual Touch Screen Notebook

What are the advantages of this technology?

  • Short learning curve.
  • On screen interfaces such as keyboard, music keyboard, drawing tools, virtual turntables and the like, vs physical interfaces.
  • Desk surface real estate opens up without a physical keyboard.
  • Hard to say what the Repetetive Stress Injury impact will be. Less of one type of injury and more of another? (Carpal Tunnel?)
  • More active user experience (think: Wii vs any other game platform - Promotes movement vs sitting.)
  • Scalable real estate?
  • Accessible to non-handed or arthritis users?
  • Scanning? (MS version)
  • New UI paradigms - relative database searching using visual nodes and being able to grab multiple items “more like this” in a single move

What kinds of UI’s could we design with this?

  • Any web site or application
  • Games!
  • Multi point inputs and interface types (two hands, gestures, pressure and angle sensitivity, etc)
  • Scratch n sniff??
  • Tactile UI’s with texture? (eg, glass, wood, liquid)

Other considerations:

  • Verbiage changes - “Touch here for more!”, “Tickle Elmo for more!”
  • Workstation Designs ( A Tuesday Design Challenge )

How can we expand on the idea?

  • Medical applications could be huge for this
  • Braille reader extension?
  • Biometric Fingerprint security (and the possible compromising of identity)
  • Force feedback?
  • Temperature?
  • tactile OS themes (corrugated metal, velvet, memory foam)?
  • even more interactive video (eg. change camera angle)
  • Touch logos?
  • Registered Touch Form Marks? (RTFMs? heh.)

Okay, now I’m digressing, but hopefully this raises some ideas. It won’t be long before we can buy and use this stuff every day. And it won’t be long after, that I smack myself in the head and say “Damn, that was MY idea!”.


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