A group of users generated graph layouts using both multi-touch interaction on a tabletop display as well as mouse interaction on a desktop computer. They were asked to optimize their layout for aesthetics and analytical tasks with a social network. Using a web-based study, we compared these user generated graph layouts with to the results of automatic layout algorithms. Our results demonstrated that the best of the user-generated layouts performed as well as or better than the physics-based layout.

We study whether familiarity with other environments influences how users approach interaction with a multi-touch surface computer as well as how efficiently those users complete a simple task. We asked users to carry out an object sorting task on a physical table, on a tabletop display, and on a desktop computer with a mouse. To compare users' gestures we produced a vocabulary of manipulation techniques that users apply in the physical world and we compare this vocabulary to the set of gestures that users attempted on the surface without training. We find that users who start with the physical model finish the task faster when they move over to using the surface than users who start with the mouse.