Visual attention techniques in the graphical user interface

This paper presents an experiment in using visual techniques, called 'masks,' to direct a user's attention within a computer graphical user interface. Bleaching, darkening, and a solid- color pattern overlay (screening) are used to de-emphasize background material, causing the target to visually 'pop-out' at the user. The tradeoff between effectively directing the user's attention and ensuring the readability of the background material is explored. Experimental results indicate that there is a wide range of darkening and screening levels that can create a pop-out effect without degrading the readability of the masked area. ©2005 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.