FEATURE
From Plastic to Pixels:
In Search of Touch-Typing
Touchscreen Keyboards
Leah Findlater

University of Maryland, College Park | [e-mail]

Jacob O. Wobbrock

University of Washington | [e-mail] May + June 2012

interactions

Touchscreen devices have exploded onto the commercial stage in the past decade, most prolifically in smartphones, but in other forms as well, including tablets and interactive tabletops. While touchscreen devices have enormous appeal, one drawback is clear to anyone who has entered more than a few characters on one: Typing is slow, uncomfortable, and inaccurate, and it generally pales in comparison to typing on physical keyboards. A touchscreen’s flat, glassy surface means that even expert typists have to look down at their fingers instead of feeling for the home row keys to situate their hands. Adding to the challenge: Whereas physical keyboards offer three input states—a finger can be completely off a key, resting on but not depressing a key, or depressing a key—touchscreen keyboards offer only the first and third of these states. Without a separate signal for pressure, touching is pressing, which makes crafting usable and pleasing touch-typing keyboards for touchscreens a significant challenge.

The upside is that touchscreens
also offer distinct advantages. First,
because touchscreen keyboards are
software based, they can support
customization and adaptation of
the keyboard in ways no physical
keyboard can. Imagine, for example,
you place your hands on an interac-
tive tabletop and see the keyboard
appear under your hands with the
keys laid out to fit your unique typ-
ing style. Maybe you like to keep
a comfortable amount of space
between your hands or you find it
difficult to reach the “Q” key with
your left pinky—no problem, the
keyboard will adjust. And being
made from code and pixels means
that personalized touchscreen key-
boards can follow you to whatever
devices you use.