Please note: This PhD seminar will take place online.
Alessandra Luz, PhD candidate
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
Supervisor: Professor Daniel Vogel
Juicy design is typically used in games to add multiple non-functional visual embellishments to create a large amount of “cascading action and response for minimal user input.” We study the effect of juicy design with the aid of eye tracking. A controlled experiment examines the application of four levels of juicy elements to a target stimulus for saccade and smooth pursuit tasks. Pupillary dilation, blink rate, and questionnaires are used to estimate levels of attention and identify the presence of different cognitive states of mind. Results suggest that the level of juicy elements for a less-intensive task influences cognitive states of boredom, exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. We contribute new empirical findings for the effect of juicy elements on cognitive state focused on attention and engagement and discuss the implications for designing interactive applications.