Guidelines on Interaction: An exploration into implementing secondary screen experiences on mobile devices

With the advent of devices such as tablets and smartphones, there has been a substantial impact on the way we interact with computers and other technologies, as well as one another, owing to the ability to multitask on such 'second screens'. Second screen applications often provide additional or related content that can enhance user experiences in many environments. Portable devices such as mobile phones and tablets are now frequently used to interact with primary screens such as televisions and many apps have been developed to enhance a user's experience, often for entertainment or educational purposes. There are many applications that fall short of user needs however, and therefore in order for more useful second screen experiences to be created, increased guidance is required. This project therefore investigates four popular environments for second screen use: television, gaming, classrooms and museums, consequently identifying types of interaction and functionality that facilitate interesting second screen experiences in these areas. A user study was conducted to substantiate this research and from these findings a set of guidelines for second screen applications was produced. Using these guidelines, a television-based second screen app was designed and prototyped for the television show "Game of Thrones". Through a second user study, the prototype was subsequently evaluated in terms of how useful and engaging an experience it provided and as a result how successfully the guidelines had been put into practice