Recently, there are many products and computing applications which deal with 'Haptics and simulate real sensation` However, general PC users are not familiar with tactile feedback and there is not enough research on the guideline of presenting tactile feedback. With this background, this thesis focuses on the evaluation of the tactile feedback design elements, especially on the presentation on web sites.
This research aims to find the guideline of presenting tactile feedback of web site interfaces. For this purpose, some related references on the current feedback on web and multi-sensory feedback within other media were reviewed. The main part of this research is the experiment and evaluation of tactile feedback design elements. From the results of this experiment, a prototype web site was developed. This prototype with tactile feedback was compared with a normal web site with only visual and auditory feedback.
Logitech's iFeel mouse was used, which can have various kinds of tactile feedback due to the design elements such as magnitude, period and changes in magnitude. Several samples were designed to have different degrees of these elements. The purpose of the evaluation of these tactile feedback design elements was to find where each feedback sample was located among adjective or verb pairs. These languages include tactile sensation adjectives, visual effects, psychological states, activities relating with interaction on the desktop and web.
Through 4-step experiences, Distinct results about the relation between tactile feedback design elements and representative languages were found; the higher magnitude and period tactile feedback has, the rougher, harder, thicker, heavier feelings users have. Higher magnitude has the feeling of strong, fast and important situation, whereas lower period has the same sensation. Tactile feedback design with fade-out magnitude can portray 'open, make, magnify, select' situation; fade-in magnitude does the opposite words. Prototype web site with tactile feedback based on the previous analysis is good for conveying site developer's purposes. Therefore, tactile feedback is helpful for better user experience.
Tactile feedback on web sites sheds light on more user-friendly and experimental interface design. Consequently, this research can be a starting point presenting tactile feedback not only on web sites but also on the general computing environment.
