Paired Sketching of Distributed User Interfaces:Workflow, Protocol, Software Support, and Experiment

Paired Sketching of Distributed User Interfaces:
Workflow, Protocol, Software Support, and Experiment
Mehdi Ousmer, Jean Vanderdonckt, Laura-Bianca Bilius, Radu-Daniel Vatavu, Mihail
Terenti
17th ACM SIGCHI Symposium on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems (EICS ‘25, 23-27 June 2025, Trier, Germany)

Paired Sketching of Distributed User
Interfaces
2
Jean Vanderdonckt
LouRIM
Université catholique
de Louvain, Belgium
Mehdi Ousmer
LouRIM
Université catholique de
Louvain, Belgium
Laura-Bianca Bilius
MintViz
Stefan cel Mare
University of Suceava,
Romania
Radu-Daniel Vatavu
MintViz
Stefan cel Mare
Romania
Mihail Terenti
MintViz
Stefan cel Mare
Romania

Interfaces
3
• Traditional protoyping of user interfaces in participatory design

Interfaces
4
• What is Paired Sketching?
• A collaborative design approach in which two stakeholders work together
to design a Distributed User Interface (DUI) on a specific device
• The first stakeholder sketches just a few UI features.
The following rule of thumb is agreed upon between stakeholders: when one of them lifts
the pen off the device for some time or hesitates about what to sketch next, it means that
their turn is finished.
The other stakeholder takes the pen and sketches some more features and/or modifies
previously sketched features.
Rounds follow each other until stakeholders feel that there is no longer a need to add,
delete, or modify any feature of the interface.
In the beginning, stakeholders can sketch silently without necessarily explaining or
justifying what has been sketched unless they wish to do so.
They are allowed to discuss design issues about any interface element at any time.

Interfaces
5
• Main principles
• Balance co-creation with co-modification
• Sketch incrementally
• Agree on a stopping criteria
• Provide continuous feedback
• Sketch on the very target device

Interfaces
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• Four disciplines

Interfaces
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• Four disciplines

Interfaces
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• Software support for these four disciplines

Interfaces
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• Our software support for Paired Sketching

Pan
Erase
Sketch
Move
Text
Session configurations for paired sketching
Test
Prototype
Sketch
10
Interfaces

11
Interfaces
• Example of final results

Tablet (4)
Smartphone (6)
Pen display (5)
Tabletop
Wall
screen
Pair of stakeholders
Setup
UI paired sketching
first platform: 10 min
CSUQ Questionnaire
first platform: 10 min
UI paired sketching
second platform: 10 min
UI paired sketching
third platform: 10 min
CSUQ Overall
evaluation: 10 min
Protocol
… …
4
5
6
Experiment

Interfaces
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• Context of use: in-car backseat game

Interfaces
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• Context of use: multiple interactive surfaces
1 1
2 2
4
5
6
7

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Q1. Overall, I am satisfied with how easy it is to use this system
Q2. It was simple to use this system
Q3. I can effectively complete my work using this system
Q4. I am able to complete my work quickly using this system
Q5. I am able to efficiently complete my work using this system
Q6. I feel comfortable using this system
Q7. It was easy to learn to use this system
Q8. I believe I became productive quickly using this system
Q9. The system gives error messages that clearly tell me how to fix
problems
Q10. Whenever I make a mistake using the system, I recover easily and
quickly
Q11. The information (such as online help, on-screen messages, and
other documentation) provided with this system is clear
Q12. It is easy to find the information I needed
Q13. The information provided for the system is easy to understand
Q14. The information is effective in helping me complete the tasks and
scenarios
Q15. The organization of information on the system screens is clear
Q16. The interface of this system is pleasant
Q17. I like using the interface of this system
Q18. This system has all the functions and capabilities I expect it to
have
Q19. Overall, I am satisfied with this system
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I strongly disagree I disagree I neither agree or disagree
I agree I strongly agree
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Smartphone
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Pen display Tablet Tabletop
(Score = 1,2) (Score = 3) (Score = 4, median value) (Score = 5) (Score = 6)
Interfaces
15

SysUse InfoQual InterQual Overall Reactivity Intention to use
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
6.44
4.14
5.33
6.00
6.00
6.50
3.78
3.82
3.75
3.50
3.75
3.00
2.50
3.21
3.50
2.50
1.00
1.50
1.69
2.29
2.33
1.00
3.00
1.00
Tabletop Tablet Smartphone Pen display
** *** ***
**
Average
rating
[1..7]
*
*
* *
• Differential results
Interfaces
16

• Conversational results
• Participants talk about design issues more frequently
Interfaces
17
Smartphone Tablet Tabletop

• Conversational results
• Participants talk about design issues in a structured way
Interfaces
18
(a) Smartphone (b) Tablet (c) Tabletop
Create a
zone larger than…
button on the left of…
animation on…
check to validate…
drop down list…
icon there to…
check box to verify…
table to list entries of…
a screen to navigate to…
a small menu to…
a random widget to…
Push button
for adding a configuration
on the left of…
back to come back to…
to execute…
to submit the form
to validate the form
to create…
to have a new category
to navigate to…
to perform an action for…
here/there to do…
with… to delete…
‘Done’ for completing…
radio to select…
to delete the next…
to delete the previous…

• Paired sketching (PS) vs. Pair design (PD)
• Focus on UI concepts (PS) over UI details (PD)
• Faster iteration and ideation (PS) vs precision and progressive ideation (PD)
• Parallel collaboration (PS) vs one-at-a-time (PD)
• Reduced perfectionism (PS) vs polished UI elements (PD)
• Facilitates user experience workflows (PS) vs regulatory workflow (PD)
• Support agile approaches (PS) vs final-stage design (PD)
Interfaces
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• Limitations
• Shared perception is imposed, as well as protocol
• Coordination and communication overheads
• Need for conflict resolution policy
• Conclusion: paired sketching …
• Is particularly appropriate for DUIs, but not only
• Should be supported by an adequate software
• Should be investigated with more than 2 stakeholders by group
Interfaces
20

Thank you very much for
your attention

Paired Sketching of Distributed User Interfaces:Workflow, Protocol, Software Support, and Experiment

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