Apple Trackpad

The lower layer of interaction in the trackpad is the button level. When you press down, it is the same result as if you clicked a mouse or tapped the trackpad: a mouse-click event is triggered. Since a press of the trackpad and a tap on the trackpad are both registered as the same event, it could be argued that this button level could be removed from the trackpad with no degradation of interaction. It is my thought that the button level was kept in the design to assist in those few occasions when only using a tap can make an interaction more difficult than using a button. Some interactions are more efficient and manually possible through the addition of physicality, instead of attempting to combine a string of touch motions that virtually create the same result.

Two ways of dragging an icon across the desktop (a simplified example):

• Move finger to place cursor on the icon, press down with left finger, use right finger to drag cursor across screen.
• Or, move finger to place cursor on the icon, double-tap finger but hold the finger down on the second tap, move finger to drag cursor across the screen, tap finger again to release the double-tap-hold.

The button level of the trackpad provides access to a single mouse event, click.

Apple Trackpad: button level

The upper level of the Trackpad provides a plethora of interaction that goes beyond the assumed abilities of a typical trackpad. For full disclosure, I must admit that I do not have an Apple Trackpad and am only stating functionality from what I have witnessed or seen online.

All typical interactions are possible: tap, double-tap, drag. Apple expands on these interactions, though, through the use of a multi-touch trackpad: “right-click” when tap with second finger when first finger is already touching, two-finger scroll for a webpage, four-finger up to hide all open applications, four-finger down to show a small icon of each open application, pinch two fingers to zoom, rotate two fingers to rotate an image, hold your thumb down while moving your finger to perform a click-drag, press with two fingers for a “right-click”, three fingers swiped to the left or right to move back or forward while surfing the web, four fingers swiped left or right to open the Application Switcher… and on top of all that… you can customize all of these gestures through a preferences pane in the control panel!

Apple Trackpad: touch level

The Apple Trackpad is not a SUI because it does not contain multiple interfaces. This was not an immediate verdict though. If the definition of “multiple interfaces” were stretched thinly, the answer could almost be “Yes” to the multiple interfaces question.

• The top layer provides cursor movement control, cursor event commands, and access to a limited set of gesture commands.
• The bottom layer provides cursor event commands, too.

Where the definition of “multiple interfaces” could be stretched, and I think where most people are convinced that it is a SUI, is how gestures are incorporated into the overall functionality of the trackpad. Without the gestures, the Apple Trackpad would without a doubt not be a SUI because of the absence of opposed interfaces. The button and touch-sensitivity are both controlling the same interface. With the inclusion of gestures in the top layer of interactions, the line that separates the interfaces becomes blurred, and the definition of “interface” becomes uncertain.

From my inexperienced understanding of the Apple Trackpad gestures, they are simply shortcuts or “quick-keys” to functionality that is attainable by other means. The gesture is providing the user with a quicker way of performing the function by allowing the user to maintain their hand position and not move their arm to press a button, or by eliminating multiple cursor movements and click commands. Because of this, I do not consider the gestures to be an interface. I do admit, though, that more investigation is necessary…

Apple Trackpad: SUI levels

(I can not confirm that the photos used for this example are from an aftertouch-enabled keyboard. I am using these photos for demonstration purposes only.)

Keyboard Aftertouch

The top layer of a keyboard is the obvious and most visible layer: the tone-producing key “button”. When a key is pressed, a tone is produced. Depending how advanced the keyboard is, would determine how much control the musician can have on producing the tone. For example, on more technologically advanced keyboards (and usually much more expensive), a musician could produce a tone of varied loudnesses, or varied percussive attacks of the tone. Versus, a cheaper keyboard that produces the same loudness and attack no matter how differently you press the key.

All of these elements pertain to the tone-producing layer of interaction on a keyboard.

Keyboard Aftertouch: button level

The “aftertouch” layer of interaction occurs only after a tone is produced in the upper layer. Presumably there are sensors underneath the key that determine when it is pressed to produce a tone, and also sense when slightly more pressure is given to the press to activate aftertouch. Aftertouch can only be activated once a tone is generated. This fact breaks one of the rules of determining a SUI: interface independence. The upper layer of interaction must be used in order to get to the lower layer of interaction.

Keyboard Aftertouch: touch level

Aftertouch is not a SUI for multiple reasons:

• Multiple interfaces? The upper layer produces a tone, while the lower layer augments the tone. Both are related and interfacing with the tone generating interface of the keyboard. Are opposed interfaces necessary for a SUI?
• Both interfaces described here occupy the same physical space, but it is unclear whether the interfaces described here are separate and plural.
• There is no interface independence. Aftertouch can not be activated without first interacting with the upper layer of interaction.

Keyboard Aftertouch: SUI levels

iPod Classic

Using your finger, you can touch the jog wheel and move your finger in a circular motion. This interaction modifies a number of controls on the screen.

• It scrolls whichever list is visible on the screen. A clockwise motion scrolls down, while a counter-clockwise motion scrolls up.
• If a horizontal status bar is visible, it can adjust the current position in the status bar to the left or right (clockwise for right, counter-clockwise for left). This is used for adjusting the volume and adjusting the time position of the song.
• If the star rating is visible, scrolling to the left or right with the jog wheel selects more or less stars.
• To use the Genius playlist control, scrolling the jog wheel to the right moves a selection arrow control, that initializes the Genius feature.

The jog wheel is typically used as the selection control for the iPod. The device does not have any type of pointing device to make selections, as someone is typically used to using on a desktop computer for example. Using the jog wheel as a selection interface is more apparent when trying to play Solitaire on the small device. Moving your finger to the left or right on the jog wheel moves a “selection hand” on the screen. The hand moves in a linear pattern allowing you to select a card to move in the game. This selection interaction on a desktop computer is strictly given to the mouse or trackpad to provide input.

iPod Classic: touch level

Underneath the jog wheel are 4 buttons that provide more input to the iPod interaction.

• The top button (MENU) is typically used as a “back button”.
• The right button is used to advance to the next song, or when held down, used to advance the current song by a few seconds.
• The left button is used to go to the beginning of the current song, go back one song, or go back in time in the current song.
• The bottom button is used play or pause the song.

The middle button that is not underneath the jog wheel, and thus not included in the SUI interface, is used to advance through the menus or commit to an action.

iPod Classic: button level

The iPod Classic represents a SUI interface:

1. Multiple interfaces
   1. Jog Wheel controls menu selection (scrolling through lists), and parameter adjustments (changing volume, place in song, star rating).
   2. 3 of 4 buttons control music playing
   3. MENU button function is related to menu selection and not music playing.
2. Interfaces occupy the same physical space.
3. Each interface can be independently controlled without interfering with the other interface.

The iPod’s adherence to the SUI framework is weak for rule #1, though: there is not a strict separation of interface functions.

• One button in the lower layer is used in conjunction with the jog wheel in the upper layer.
• The jog wheel can be used to adjust a music playing parameter.

iPod Classic: SUI levels

The hardware design of the TRKBRD places an invisible light field over the keyboard, thus creating a “touch field” on top of the entire keyboard.

TRKBRD Top View

The purple area below is the “button level” of the SUI, where a user can interact with the keyboard input.

TRKBRD Top View: button level

The orange area is the “touch level” of the SUI, where a user can interact with the cursor and control the cursor position and action.

TRKBRD Top View: touch level

TRKBRD Side View

Physical button level of the SUI.

TRKBRD Side View: button level

Invisible touch field level of the SUI.

TRKBRD Side View: touch level

Both levels, creating two independent levels of interaction, controlling two independent inputs for the portable computer.

TRKBRD Side View: SUI levels