Gesture control: Wave goodbye to your remote control and say hello to the future

Digital technology is advancing at a rapid rate. From old Nokias to Apple iPhones, we have seen users move from pushing physical buttons to swiping touchscreens.

Now, we are beginning to see gestural control take over devices such as gaming consoles (Xbox Kinect and Wii), TVs and cameras – and gesture control is going be the next big thing in terms of interaction. Anyone involved in interaction design or user experience better get ready for the change.

Ok, cool. But what’s this presentation all about?

Imagine developing a hand gesture controlled TV that people from all around the world could use. But before you start, you need to address a major challenge:

Do different cultures have an influence on the way people communicate using hand gestures? Or is there a universal language that everyone can understand?

This presentation talks you through a large-scale international gesture study we ran to find out. It featured 360 face-to-face interviews spanning 18 countries around the world – including Australia, Europe, the Americas and Asia.

The study also aimed to investigate how easy it was for people from different cultures to conceptualise the various gestures i.e. was it spontaneous, or contrived?

What were the results?

Using videos and diagrams, we’ll tell you:

  • What gestures are common (and not so common)?
  • Which countries share a high international similarity when it comes to gestures (and which don’t)?

What else will I learn?

We’ll also be talking you through the considerations you need to keep in mind for any future gesture design developments. So, this talk is perfect if you’re a UI or UX designers, or someone interested how cultural differences affect design and user experience.

Why did you do it?

UX Fellows (www.uxfellows.com) is a global network of user experience specialists. We wanted to explore the impact gesture control may have on the UX scene around the world – especially because we believe there is a strong risk device manufacturers will dive into gesture control headfirst, without understanding the research required.
We were not commissioned to do this project. Rather, members from various countries put in their own time to develop the methodology and purpose behind the study. Why? Simply because digital technology is an area that all of us are extremely passionate about.

Fascinating!

Yes, it is! Come along. Say goodbye to losing the damn remote between the couch and forget about replacing the batteries ever again. Rejoice and say hello to gesture control instead.

Presentation audio