DESIGNING TANGIBLE LIGHTING CONTROL INTERFACES

摘要

Abstract—This paper aims to design a prototype tangible user interfacen(TUI) for lighting control, and test its usability and end-user experiencenagainst a prototype conventional interface. Usability is concerned withneasier understanding of control functions. End-user experience isnconcerned with explicating the quality of end-users’ experience such asnfun and pleasure of use. TUIs that offer end-users freedom of personalnexpression alongside functional information are proposed as a basis fornmaking lighting control systems easier to understand and morenpleasurable to use. Three dominant views on tangible interaction arenexplored to derive a set of synthesized principles for designing tangiblenlighting control interfaces. These principles—which determine whatnend-users should see and do while using lighting control interfaces andnprovide specific guidelines for enhancing their physical interactionnpossibilities—are used to design a prototype tangible interface. Severalntests were performed to obtain end-user responses towards thenusability and end-user experience of the tangible interface as well as anconventional interface. End-user responses obtained from these testsnchallenge manufacturers’ claims about the effectiveness of conventionalnlighting control interfaces and reveal a different way of thinking aboutnfuture interface designs. Such a change in thinking could lead tonlighting control interface designs that are easier to understand andnmore pleasurable to use.