Fast Tap-N-Drag (FTND): Enhancing Panning for Web Browsing on Small Screen Devices Considering Panning Ratio and Direction

摘要

Panning tasks caused by both a small screen and the lower resolution of handheld devices are known to decrease the usability of mobile internet service. To solve this problem, we proposed FTND, an improved version of Tap-N-Drag widely used in various mobile web browsers. 30 participants performed the panning tasks with FTND embedded in combinations of 2 panning directions of Push Background user interface and Push Viewpoint user interface and 5 panning ratios of 100% (a panning ratio of Tap-N-Drag), 300%, 500%, 700%, and 900%. The usability of FTND was assessed by an objective performance and a subjective preference. The objective performance was measured by a task completion time, the number of touches, and the number of pixels. The subjective preference was measured by satisfaction and ease of use. Push Viewpoint user interface at the panning ratios of 300%, 500%, and 700% proved to be the most efficient way for panning tasks with small handheld devices when using the thumb.