Complementary interfaces for visual computing

Abstract With increasing complexity in visual computing tasks, a single device may not be sufficient to adequately support the user’s workflow. Here, we can employ multi-device ecologies such as cross-device interaction, where a workflow can be split across multiple devices, each dedicated to a specific role. But what makes these multi-device ecologies compelling? Based on insights from our research, each device or interface component must contribute a complementary characteristic to increase the quality of interaction and further support users in their current activity. We establish the term complementary interfaces for such meaningful combinations of devices and modalities and provide an initial set of challenges. In addition, we demonstrate the value of complementarity with examples from within our own research.