Gedrics: The Next Generation of Icons

Using today’s combination of standard point-and-click user-interface elements for pen-based applications is a decision that implies that the pen is nothing more than a derivative of the mouse. This assumption is not necessarily correct. In order to be able to design more adequate interaction styles for pens, this paper introduces a new kind of user interface element: the gedric. Gedrics are gesture-driven icons, a combination of icons, pull-down menus and gestures. They provide a very fast, easy-to-learn, and easy-to-use interaction style for future pen interfaces. This paper describes and discusses the concept and implementation of gedrics.