Human-computer-intuition? Exploring the cognitive basis for intuition in embodied interaction

One of the claimed benefits of embodied interaction is that it is an intuitive form of human–computer interaction. While this claim seems to be widely accepted, few studies explore the underlying cognitive mechanisms of intuition in the context of tangible and embedded interaction design. What is intuitive interaction? What makes an interface intuitive to use? We explore these questions in the context of a responsive auditory environment. We propose that intuitive interaction can be facilitated by instantiating an embodied metaphor in the mapping layer between movement-based input actions and auditory system responses. We search for evidence of benefit through a comparative study of the same responsive auditory environment implemented with and without an embodied metaphor in the interactional mapping layer. Qualitative findings about the complexities and limitations of designing intuitive interaction are summarised and the implications for the design of embodied interaction discussed.