Casual Interaction: Scaling Interaction for Multiple Levels of Engagement

Abstract

In the focused-casual continuum, users are given a choice of how much they wish to engage with an interface. In situations where they are, e.g., physically encumbered, they may wish to trade some control for the convenience of interacting at all. Currently, most devices only offer focused interaction capabilities or restrict users to binary foreground/background interaction choices. In casual interactions, users consciously pick a way to interact that is suitable for their desired engagement level. Users will be expecting devices to offer several ways for control along the engagement scale.