Enriching the desktop metaphor with physics, piles and the pen.
Published: 2006
Language: eng
Number of pages: 101
ISBN-13: 9780494214381
Description: We explore making virtual desktops behave in a more physically realistic manner by adding physics simulation and using piling instead of filing as the fundamental organizational structure. Objects can be casually dragged and tossed around, influenced by physical characteristics such as friction and mass, much like we would manipulate objects in the real world. In addition we explore giving icons the affordances of paper supporting crumpling, creasing and pinning up to the walls for annotation. To manipulate and browse piles we integrate advances in techniques and propose our own novel set. We present a prototype, called BumpTop, that coherently integrates a variety of interaction and visualization techniques optimized for pen input we have developed to support this new style of desktop organization. Encouraging results of a user evaluation are also presented in which participants were able to complete 88% of tasks and find the interface enjoyable and satisfying.
Notes: Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-03, page: 1521.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2006.

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