Improving Interaction Discoverability in Large Public Interactive Displays

There is increasing interest in utilizing large, interactive displays in public spaces such as museums, retail stores, information centres, etc. in order to provide a more engaging user experience. Yet, prior studies have consistently reported that these systems are underutilized and, thus, not providing the desired user experience. My thesis aims to model the underlying interaction process with public interactive displays. A descriptive model of this interaction process will allow researchers and practitioners to better understand the unique design issues of these systems. It will also help specify existing and potential design advice, in order to better understand which stages of the process this design advice addresses, and which stages need more attention. My thesis also aims to develop a laboratory-based experimental methodology that enables more rapid and controlled evaluation of potential interaction design strategies for public interactive displays. My research is expected to provide insights for readers to design and build better and more usable large interactive systems for public settings.