Moving from flat 2D screens to 3D Mixed Reality (MR) presents a major design challenge: How do we effectively represent the relationships between different pieces of information when the entire physical world becomes our user interface?

In their latest full paper, researchers from the Interactive Media Lab Dresden (Technische Universität Dresden) and the Cluster of Excellence CeTI tackle this problem head-on. They provide a foundational resource to help shape the future of spatial computing and human-computer interaction (HCI).

The Problem: Desktop Logic in a Spatial World

In traditional 2D desktop environments, we rely on decades of established design rules to communicate relations between different views or documents. In Mixed Reality, we suddenly have limitless physical space, yet we lack systematic guidance. Simply applying flat, 2D link logic to a 3D environment is not enough to make spatial interfaces intuitive.

Research Highlights: Setting a New Standard for 3D Information

To bridge this gap, the research team went “beyond links” to develop systematic strategies for immersive environments:

  • Systematic Exploration: The team analyzed a corpus of 44 immersive multi-view approaches to identify recurring design strategies in current spatial applications.

  • The Toolkit: Building on existing literature, they developed a specialized codebook and a comprehensive design space for visual association techniques specifically adapted for immersive, 3D contexts.

  • Practical Validation: Using a custom prototyping framework, the researchers demonstrated how these newly designed spatial associations enhance data exploration, task coordination, and cognitive sensemaking in complex MR applications.

The CeTI Impact

How we structure, link, and perceive information in 3D space is critical for future technologies. By understanding how to “associate” data seamlessly within our physical surroundings, this research takes us another major step closer to a natural, intuitive, and truly tactile internet.

The full paper is available open-access. Dive into the detailed methodology, codebook, and design space here.

Authors: Weizhou Luo, Rufat Rzayev, Benjamin Russig, Marc Satkowski, Stefan Gumhold, and Raimund Dachselt

This work is a collaboration between the Interactive Media Lab Dresden and the Cluster of Excellence CeTI (Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop) at TU Dresden.