Movement transformation on multi-touch devices: Intuition or instructional preparation?

• We evaluate the usability of a touch pad device.
• An action-regulatory framework is introduced.
• Users cannot generalize gestures between touch pads and touch screens.

Multi-touch technology is a key part of computer interaction today, yet little is known about the distinction between direct and indirect input devices in terms of intuitive interaction. An experimental study aims to identify the difficulties of interaction with indirect multi-touch devices by applying the action regulation theory and the principle of movement transformation to common computer tasks involving gesture utilization. An analysis of the data acquired from 54 subjects working with an Apple Magic Trackpad implies that gestures on indirect multi-touch devices are not utilized intuitively without instructions that bypass conceptual difficulties of indirect gesture usage. It is shown that gesture use influences product assessment measured by User Experience questionnaires and that prior experience with direct multi-touch devices does not influence gesture usage or product assessment. We advise that product developers utilize video instructions to create a sense of intuitive interaction.