Few-key text entry revisited: mnemonic gestures on four keys

We present a new 4-key text entry method that, unlike most few-key methods, is gestural instead of selection-based. Importantly, its gestures mimic the writing of Roman letters for high learnability. We compare this new 4-key method to predominant 3-key and 5-key methods theoretically using KSPC and empirically using a longitudinal study of 5 subjects over 10 sessions. The study includes an evaluation of the 4-key method without any on-screen visualization-an impossible condition for the selection-based methods. Our results show that the new 4-key method is quickly learned, becoming faster than the 3-key and 5-key methods after just ~10 minutes of writing, although it produces more errors. Interestingly, removing a visualization of the gestures being made causes no detriment to the 4-key method, which is an advantage for eyes-free text entry. ACM Classification Keywords H.5.2. Information interfaces and presentation: User interfaces -- Input devices and strategies. Author Keywords Tex...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Jacob O. Wobbrock, Brad A. Myers, Brandon Rothrock
• Keywords: 5-key Methods, CHI 2006, Human Computer Interaction, Keywords Text Entry, Text Entry Method