Tak, S.Cockburn, A.Humm, K.Ahlstroem, D.Gutwin, C.Scarr, J.2010-05-272010-05-272009Tak, S., Cockburn, A., Humm, K., Ahlstroem, D., Gutwin, C., Scarr, J. (2009) Improving Window Switching Interfaces. Uppsala, Sweden: INTERACT 2009: 12th IFIP TC13 Conference on Human Interaction, 24-28 Aug 2009. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LCNS), 5727/2009, Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2009, 187-200.978-3-642-03657-6http://hdl.handle.net/10092/3903"A" Ranked conference in Australasian ERA.Switching between windows on a computer is a frequent activity, but current switching mechanisms make it difficult to find items. We carried out a longitudinal study that recorded actual window switching behaviour. We found that window revisitation is very common, and that people spend most time working with a small set of windows and applications. We identify two design principles from these observations. First, spatial constancy in the layout of items in a switching interface can aid memorability and support revisitation. Second, gradually adjusting the size of application and window zones in a switcher can improve visibility and targeting for frequently-used items. We carried out two studies to confirm the value of these design ideas. The first showed that spatially stable layouts are significantly faster than the commonly-used recency layout. The second showed that gradual adjustments to accommodate new applications and windows do not reduce performance.enwindow switchingrevisitation patternsspatial constancyConference Contributions - PublishedFields of Research::280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences::280100 Information Systems::280105 Interfaces and presentation (excl. 280104)Fields of Research::280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences::280100 Information Systems::280104 Computer-human interactionhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03658-3