Re-designing the Interaction of Day-to-Day Applications to Support Sustained Attention Level

Naile Hacioglu, Maria Chiara Leva, Hyowon Lee

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Digital distractions in decreasing people’s attentional abilities have become a subject of increasing concern and scrutiny in recent years. Based on the existing literature regarding the negative impact of technology on attention, this paper examines various solutions, encompassing mostly reactive strategies. It also questions the prevailing design practices prioritising learnability and efficiency and proposes a shift towards designing interactions that minimise distractions and promote sustained attention while emphasising the negative consequences of distraction-prone interactions on users’ attentional resources. As a proactive solution, we present a novel interaction strategy called “Attention mode,” which selectively reduces distractions when using apps. We developed three prototypes that consistently incorporate this strategy, each used in a different application on a different device: a news website on a desktop, an e-book reading app on a tablet, and a video-watching app on a smartphone. We conducted usability testing with 13 participants to evaluate this design feature and address the implications of these in the interaction design knowledge and practice today. By advocating for considering users’ attentional abilities in design, this work contributes to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and calls for a balance between cognitive well-being and traditional usability criteria.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHCI International 2023 – Late Breaking Papers - 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2023, Proceedings
EditorsMasaaki Kurosu, Ayako Hashizume, Aaron Marcus, Elizabeth Rosenzweig, Marcelo M. Soares, Don Harris, Wen-Chin Li, Dylan D. Schmorrow, Cali M. Fidopiastis, Pei-Luen Patrick Rau
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages363-377
Number of pages15
ISBN (Print)9783031480379
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Event25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2023 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Duration: 23 Jul 202328 Jul 2023

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume14054 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2023
Country/TerritoryDenmark
CityCopenhagen
Period23/07/2328/07/23

Keywords

  • Cognition
  • Digital Technology
  • Distraction
  • Notifications
  • Smart Devices
  • Sustained Attention
  • Task Switching
  • Usability
  • User Interface Design

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