A study on a tangible interaction approach to managing wireless connections in a smart home environment

Technological advances in computational, networking and sensing abilities are leading towards a future in which our daily lives are immersed with interactive devices that are networked and interoperable. Design has an important role in facilitating users to make sense of the many connections between devices in a networked environment. Two design solutions based on a tangible interaction approach have been developed, that allow users to manage wireless connections between devices in a smart living room context. One design (Interaction Tiles) is a centralized approach based on a high level of semantic abstraction. The second design (Nodes) employs a distributed and localized approach, building upon laws of grouping from Gestalt psychology. A user experiment (n=15) was conducted, comparing both design solutions in the form of video prototypes, to gain insights into the mental models users construct when using the methods. Findings suggest that users’ mental models of the Nodes design are more accurate representations of the actual structure of the network and that it allows for the projection of different mental models. Furthermore, findings also suggest that this does not necessarily lead to increased usability or increased perceived value.