Publication
The Effect of Visual Appearance on the Performance of Continuous Sliders and Visual Analogue Scales
Abstract
Sliders and Visual Analogue Scales (VASs) are input mechanisms which allow users to specify a value within a predefined range. At a minimum, sliders and VASs typically consist of a line with the extreme values labeled. Additional decorations such as labels and tick marks can be added to give information about the gradations along the scale and allow for more precise and repeatable selections. There is a rich history of research about the effect of labelling in discrete scales (i.e., Likert scales), however the effect of decorations on continuous scales has not been rigorously explored. In this paper we perform a 2,000 user, 250,000 trial online experiment to study the effects of slider appearance, and find that decorations along the slider considerably bias the distribution of responses received. Using two separate experimental tasks, the trade-offs between bias, accuracy, and speed-of-use are explored and design recommendations for optimal slider implementations are proposed.
Download publicationRelated Resources
See what’s new.
1994
Contextual Animation of Gestural CommandsDrawing a mark can be an efficient command input technique when using…
2018
SymbiosisSketch: Combining 2D & 3D Sketching for Designing Detailed 3D Objects in SituWe present SymbiosisSketch, a hybrid sketching system that combines…
2009
Mathematical modeling and synthetic biologySynthetic biology is an engineering discipline that builds on our…
2023
Research Conversations with Vivian LiuA former Autodesk Research intern shares her experiences and reflects…
Get in touch
Something pique your interest? Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about Autodesk Research, our projects, people, and potential collaboration opportunities.
Contact us