Usability Optimization for Mobile Menu Design: An Empirical Study of Hand Grips and User Preferences

This paper investigates the relationship between menu design and hand positions in relation to the assessment of end users with main focus on usability, user preference, and potential adaptions to different hand positions. Sixteen (N=16) participants first participated in a co-design workshop, in which they proposed menu designs for different hand grips. Based on the design proposals, a selection of menu designs were derived and implemented in a mobile app prototype, on which a menu selection study was conducted to investigate performance and perceived usability of the menus in one-handed and two-handed interaction. The results include user ratings and performance, which highlight the need for mobile menus to be adapted for different hand positions. Based on that, we derive design recommendations for more adaptive, user-centric and ergonomic mobile menu designs to match the natural interactions of users.