A pattern language for interactive tabletops in collaborative workspaces

Abstract

In this paper, we present a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design pattern language that bundles existing knowledge on tabletop design and offers solutions to recurring problems. Our patterns enable not only developers, designers, and domain experts to improve their existing systems and facilitate the design process of new systems, we also encourage novice users to comprehend the variety of tabletop research and commercial products in this domain. We consider our language as a starting point to create a sustainable body of knowledge that will be extended and refined by the community.