A Summer Project That Shook Up Human-Computer Interaction
October 27, 2009 by Erik Levitch
Some days ago, I stumbled upon an ambitious summer project that tried to redefine the way we interact with computers. The project, entitled 10GUI, takes a hard look at the inherent limitations of the mouse and the windowed desktop while looking forward for a possible solution. We've all seen how touch-screen technology has transformed the way we interact with kiosks and mobile phones, but how can we harness this type of technology for the desktop?
The Problem
I’ve watched countless videos on the potential of touch-screen and many of them do not address the hardcore 8-hour-a-day use scenario. Take a look at demos for Microsoft Surface, for example, and it becomes clear that this type of implementation isn't practical for everyday use. Imagine having to keep your arm extended toward a screen for hours while trying to create a design in Photoshop...yeah, that won't work. However, in the case of Microsoft Surface, they are using multi-touch technology to allow more complex interactions on the screen. The ability to use two hands at once goes beyond the limitations of the mouse, but is this the answer?
The Solution
What's interesting about 10GUI's solution is that it breaks away from touching the screen by using a touch-pad. A 1:1 pad allows all 10 fingers to manipulate what's on the screen with the arms in a resting position. The solution seems (and really is) pretty simple, but the genius is in its design.
On the pad, finger gestures can be used to zoom in/out, make individual/multiple selections, and rearrange applications. Touching the right side opens a global menu (think start menu), where as the left side shows the menu in context to the currently active application (see the 10GUI screenshot). So far, no mouse needed!
Darn Windows!
There is still the pesky problem of managing multiple windows on the screen. Currently, sorting through a pile of windows is the normal mode of action when, say, 10 applications are open at once. OS X has done a great job with window management, allowing users to zoom out to view all open windows at once. Personally, I’ve always felt this type of window management satisfied most user goals and needs. However, the 10GUI project contends that this isn’t enough to accurately convey the shear amount of information multiple windows present. According to them, arranging windows in a linear assortment is the way to go.
After watching the 10GUI video numerous times, the window management argument fell on deaf ears. While I enjoyed the possibility of arranging windows by application when viewing all, I can’t imagine having all my application windows placed side-by-side (see the 10GUI screenshot).
What’s Next?
The ability to use fingers to make multiple selections concurrently is certainly powerful, but does it allow for precise selections that the mouse affords? Can we break our current conventions and eventually steer towards mouse-less interactions? Even if 10GUI never sees the light of day, it is this type of progressive thought that encourages new ways to interact with the computer.
Erik Levitch User Experience Designer
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Comments
Pharmf83 Sat, 2010-01-23 05:45
Very nice site!
admin Tue, 2010-01-05 15:23
This is an excellent review of the future of interaction
juday Sat, 2009-11-21 01:38
very interesting!i guess technologies now are really going wild,unpredictable. i think this is less stressful for the hands:) is this available in the market already?sounds cool ____________________________ website design
Anonymous Wed, 2009-10-28 13:19
Great article Erik. Thanks!
Joy Wed, 2009-10-28 11:58
Great post, Erik! I agree that a mouse-less world would be ideal. I could see eventually using a keyboard/mouse hybrid. You have just a flat touch pad, and you can select to use the keyboard function, the mouse-like functions or both. FYI - This is coming from a non-Photoshop user. I also was interested in the multiple windows discussion. I usually have many windows open in different applications. Instead of alt+tabbing or seeing all my active windows, I would like the screen to show the top 3-5 most-used application windows. For example, I use Notepad, PowerPoint, and Excel a lot. It would be cool to be able to see these three when I press Alt+SHIFT+Tab. Then I would use my touch-pad keyboard/mouse to select which window I want active. I use 2 monitors, so not as big a deal, but when I'm on my laptop at home, the multi-windows functionality comes in handy. Again, great post!
Anonymous Wed, 2009-10-28 09:28
The future is in our trembling hands, we just need to not fumble it. Great article.
Jake Tue, 2009-10-27 22:51
Erik, Good article/review. One thing that came to mind when you were talking about Microsoft Surface not being the best solution for Photoshop: while it may not be the best solution for the web, I can definitely see a great application for it in other designing activities like drawing, sketching, painting, etc... if there was some sort of easel mode. In fact, it might even be "good" for us to get out of our chairs for some of out tasks, but hey I can't judge. I am definitely thinking the fingers are where it's at. I hardly use my mouse anymore now that I have mastered the trackpad. But, I am having a hard time seeing the 10GUI as the newest thing on the block. I mean when I am typing and using scores of complicated hot key combos in tandem with the track pad, I feel like the empire of 10 finger computing is already upon us, and there is a cool analog/tactile quality to it that says "yes, I press the the 'y' key." Not to dump, on the 10GUI folks, but I feel like their idea might have already been improved by its predecessor before they started. And lastly, I agree with you on the window management that 10GUI proposes. I actually don't love OS X's exposè function, but I have mastered the cmd + tab and the minimize double click, and I get around fine with every adobe product open with multiple docs, plus itunes, firefox, and bittorrent. At some point the amount of things open is confusing by their sheer number and not organization, and Idk if making them a filmstrip makes that fact any less...factual. But, you're right, I am glad someone out there is thinking about this stuff, and if it makes working on computer better someday - god bless 'em.
Erik Levitch Wed, 2009-10-28 11:25
@Jake Photoshop Comment: I never thought about the possibility of using the drafting style touch-screen to paint, draw and/or sketch. This would be great for this one task in particular, but it wouldn't work for other every day uses. Of course, if we are only talking about visual artists then this could work for their everyday use. You can mock-up some awesome print design with the Macbook trackpad? Is that what you are referring to? If so, do you feel like it allows you to make precise selections? LOL@"I feel like the empire of 10 finger computing is already upon us". I am going to use this quote from now on :) Seriously though, the tactile quality of the mouse and keys is very human touch. Also, the finger gestures for 10GUI would require a considerable amount of time and energy to remember. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; years ago humans had to learn the mouse and visual operating system.
Anonymous Tue, 2009-10-27 19:58
very interesting post!
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