Mapping information to audio and tactile icons

We report the results of a study focusing on the meanings that can be conveyed by audio and tactile icons. Our research considers the following question: how can audio and tactile icons be designed to optimise congruence between crossmodal feedback and the type of information this feedback is intended to convey? For example, if we have a set of system warnings, confirmations, progress up-dates and errors: what audio and tactile representations best match the information or type of message? Is one modality more appropriate at presenting certain types of information than the other modality? The results of this study indicate that certain parameters of the audio and tactile modalities such as rhythm, texture and tempo play an important role in the creation of congruent sets of feedback when given a specific type of information to transmit. We argue that a combination of audio or tactile parameters derived from our results allows the same type of information to be derived through touch and sound with an intuitive match to the content of the message.

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