Exploring Augmented Reality Interface Designs for Virtual Meetings in Real-world Walking Contexts

Research has shown that walking during meetings improve creativity, memory, attention, health, and happiness. While mobile technologies have freed users from having to be stationary during virtual meetings, mobile phones pose several usability challenges, such as reduced productivity, due to small screens and safety concerns. In this paper, we present the first exploration of augmented reality (AR) interface design for virtual meetings in real-world walking conditions. We conducted design sessions in-situ with 16 user interface and AR designers using a 2x2 experimental design: meeting while walking in two levels of traffic conditions and with two types of meeting formats. Results show that the designed AR windows averaged 14.5 times in viewing size compared to the most popular smartphone screens. Also, Traffic Level significantly affected the size, opacity, and placement of windows, as well as the preference of anchoring modes, while Meeting Format significantly affected size and opacity. Furthermore, clustering analysis identified two groups of designs that can serve as initial reference designs for further customization and research.