Symbol Creator: Usability Evaluation of the Novel Pen-Based Text Input Technique
Melinda Luoma · 2003
The goal of this project was a usability study of Symbol Creator, a pen-based text input technique. Symbol Creator (SC) is a new technique, which aims at faster and more intuitively usable text entry. It is based on assembling characters using symbols that resemble basic elements of Latin cursive. Since keyboards are getting smaller and smaller, and the number of text messages has increased in the last decade, it is important to study ways to make multitap input technique more fast and easy to learn. Usability was being evaluated by text entry speed, number of errors made, and subjective user experiences. Results showed multi-tap input technique to be faster than Symbol Creator technique. However, the number of errors was less with Symbol Creator technique than with multi-tap technique. Also, when measuring text entry rate with keystrokes per character, the two text input techniques reached the same rate of 2 KSPC. Subjective experiences were negative regarding Symbol Creator before testing, but changed to more positive during testing the technique.