A hotkey interaction technique that promotes hotkeys

Hotkeys provide fast interactions to support expert performance. Compared to the traditional pointer-based selection of commands, hotkeys have the advantage in reducing task completion time. However, research shows that users have a tendency of favoring menu selections. This is partially caused by how hotkeys are displayed in most linear and toolbar menus. This thesis provides a review of key findings from literature that aim to promote hotkeys. On the base of these findings, this thesis develops design criteria for hotkey displays that promote hotkey use. This thesis also proposes a new interaction technique which displays hotkeys on the keyboard. Finally, a cognitive model is constructed to describe a user’s decision-making process of choosing between hotkeys and pointer-based selections when this new hotkey display technique is presented.