Use of Design Patterns According to Hand Dominance in a Mobile User Interface

Abstract

User interface (UI) design patterns for mobile applications provide a solution to design problems and can improve the usage experience for users. However, there is a lack of research categorizing the uses of design patterns according to users’ hand dominance in a learning-based mobile UI. We classified the main design patterns for mobile applications and investigated their relationships with major learning tasks. Students’ use of different patterns was compared with respect to hand dominance. A questionnaire on 71 patterns was administered to 92 participants, and the number of patterns they used was analyzed. UI design patterns for mobile learning significantly differed between left- and right-hand-dominant participants. We also performed a cluster analysis to explore possible theme sets among participants with regard to hand dominance in learning. The results revealed three-cluster solutions for both the left- and right-hand-dominant groups. We profiled these solutions based on insights obtained from structured interviews. Our findings provide evidence that pattern use differs between right- and left-hand-dominant users with regard to reading, information retrieval, and information-browsing tasks. These findings will facilitate further development of suitable UIs for educational mobile applications.