GUI Behaviors to Minimize Pointing-based Interaction Interferences

Pointing-based interaction interferences are situations wherein GUI elements appear, disappear, or change shortly before being selected, and too late for the user to inhibit their movement. Their cause lays in the design of most GUIs, for which any user event on an interactive element unquestionably reflects the user’s intention—even one millisecond after that element has changed. Previous work indicate that interferences can cause frustration and sometimes severe consequences. This paper investigates new default behaviors for GUI elements that aim to prevent the occurrences of interferences or to mitigate their consequences. We present a design space of the advantages and technical requirements of these behaviors, and demonstrate in a controlled study how simple rules can reduce the occurrences of so-called “Pop-up-style” interferences, and user frustration. We then discuss their application to various forms of interaction interferences. We conclude by addressing the feasibility and trade-offs of implementing these behaviors in existing systems.