Investigating Document Layout and Placement Strategies for Collaborative Sensemaking in Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to revolutionize our workspaces, since it considerably extends the limits of current displays while keeping users aware of their collaborators and surroundings. Collective activities like brainstorming and sensemaking often use space for arranging documents and information and thus will likely benefit from AR-enhanced offices. Until now, there has been very little research on how the physical surroundings might affect virtual content placement for collaborative sensemaking. We therefore conducted an initial study with eight participants in which we compared two different room settings for collaborative image categorization regarding content placement, spatiality, and layout. We found that participants tend to utilize the room’s vertical surfaces as well as the room’s furniture, particularly through edges and gaps, for placement and organization. We also identified three different spatial layout patterns (panoramic-strip, semi-cylindrical layout, furniture-based distribution) and observed the usage of temporary storage spaces specifically for collaboration.