Eliciting Design Guidelines of Paper-Based Tactile Interfaces for Eyes-Free Scenarios

This paper explores the design space of tactile interfaces made of paper electronics for eyes-free scenarios. We conducted a user study to examine the usability and preferences of paper-based tactile interfaces, focusing on on/off buttons, sliders, and pressure sensors, and identified challenges in eyes-free usage. To address these challenges, we led a participatory workshop with eight design students, resulting in a set of design guidelines. Our recommendations cover: (1) highlighting a starting point; (2) reducing hand travel; (3) allowing more tolerance; (4) assisting multi-touch; (5) using simple patterns; (6) optimizing size and gaps; (7) assisting precise touch; and (8) balancing comfort and use. These guidelines are intended for a broad range of designers, including novices interested in paper-based tactile interfaces. To demonstrate how the guidelines can be applied, we present three proof-of-concept application examples that employ them.

ACM Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI 2025)