Concepedia

Touch-screen technology for children

2010 · 74 citations · 5 references

TL;DR

Devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Surface tablets enable diverse interactions, yet a common terminology for the novel touch‑screen gestures they require remains undeveloped. This paper investigates appropriate terminology for touch‑screen gestures and examines its implications for child users. An initial study with 6‑ to 7‑year‑old children illustrates key problems designers must consider when creating touch‑screen language. The children could perform various gestures and transfer metaphors from other contexts, but made mistakes, leading the authors to propose design suggestions to better support children.

Abstract

While devices such as iPhones, iPads and Surface tables enable a wide range of interaction possibilities, we do not yet have a set of widely understood terminology that conveys the new and unfamiliar touch-screen gestures required for interaction. In this paper we explore terminology for touch-screen gestures and in particular the implications for child users. An initial study exploring touch-screen language with 6-7 year-olds is presented as an illustration of some of the key problems that designers need to be aware of. The children were able to perform a range of touch-screen gestures and transfer metaphors from other contexts but mistakes were observed. From this study we present a set of suggestions as to how designers of touch-screen applications can support children more effectively.