ERGONOMICS

ERGONOMICS IN A TOUCH SCREEN

A study conducted by InfoWorld investigated the way people interact with these new touch-screen devices and the health implications of prolonged use. Researchers found that ergonomics are a big factor, from the actual touch input to the user's posture and positioning during use. The mobile nature of the devices also cause inevitable problems associated with poor posture and unnatural positioning.

 Unlike laptops or desktops which you sit in front of, tablets and smartphones require users to hunch over their devices or implement awkward grips during use. Many all-in-one desktop solutions are also integrating touch screens these days and the study warns that these vertically oriented touchscreens are even more ergonomically inferior. Cause more muscle strain over a shorter period of time, and lead to an unnatural bending of the wrist that anatomists call dorsiflexion. The ideal angle for touch taps, according to the study, is about 30 degrees.

MOBILE TOUCH SCREEN

Personal computer experiences : involve many physical buttons like keyboard keys and mice with scroll wheels. Mobile touch screen experiences involve interactions with nothing more than flat screens of glass.

The nature of touch screen interactions are highly physical because they are explored through human hands.
Subsequently, it's important that touch screen layouts not only offer generous touch targets, but also accommodate the ergonomics of fingers and thumbs.

SMART PHONES AND THE "THUMB ZONE"

One of the great things about smartphones is that they're designed to fit in the palm of your hand - often resulting in one-handed use. Touch screen interfaces must not only be aesthetically pleasing, they should be organized for the fingers, especially the thumb. It's the finger that gets the workout and the reason why most major interface elements are located at the bottom of the screen instead of the top.

Major menu items of your mobile experience should reside in "the thumb zone" - the area of the screen that is navigable using just a thumb.

WHAT ABOUT TABLETS?

While they have many similar characteristics the ergonomic considerations for tablets are quite different than smartphones. Instead, people use tablets in a variety of ergonomic configurations. From curling up with it like a book, to holding it like a clipboard, to propping it up in a kitchen while cooking - the variety of ways people use tablets make it difficult to recommend a single set of heuristics about navigation and content placement.

"Curling Up" Stance

For tablet experiences that encourage the "curling up" user stance, opt for navigation at the top and consider incorporating horizontal gesture controls.

"THE CLIPBOARD" STANCE

For tablet experiences in which the user will be holding/using the tablet while standing, consider placing the navigation at the top of the screen where it's easy for the user to see.

"THE MULTI-TASKER" STANCE

In tablet experiences where the user will likely be multitasking with other objects or devices, their time and attention will be divided. Opt for a "content as the interface" strategy. Try embedding navigation and interaction controls within the content itself and place these controls and navigation in the center portion of the screen.

Most modern, mobile devices employ touch screens; which provide their own set of opportunities and constraints. We use them not only to view content, but also to interact with that content.

This forces designers to consider ergonomics, gestures, transitions, and finally, mobile-specific interaction patterns.

ERGONOMICS

Designing for mobile ergonomics requires that we pay attention todevice dimensions as well as the pragmatic concerns of touch screens. The way a user holds a device and touches the screen, for example, influences how easy it is for that user to reach parts of the screen.

HIT AREAS

Areas of the screen the user touches to activate something require adequate space for the user to accurately (and confidently) press. The average fingertip is between one to two centimeters wide, which roughly correlates to somewhere between 44px and 57px on a standard screen and 88px to 114px on a high-density (retina) screen. Nokia, apple and microsoft each recommend slightly different sizes to account for the nature of touchscreens.

GESTURES

Each part of a touchscreen dedicated to functionality precludes the display of content in that area, making gestures a crucial component of mobile interaction design. All of the major touch operating systems employ them, including: Googles Android, Apples iOS, and Microsofts Windows 8.

Additionally, standards and patterns have emerged for developing gestureson touch-based devices. Designers can and often should push the boundaries of gestures to suit their application.