Impact of Handedness and Merging in Command Selection Speed

We explore the influence of handedness and the way command selection is integrated with direct manipulation on the speed of command selection. Two empirical studies provide converging evidence that it is the merging of command selection and direct manipulation that benefits performance most, and this is especially effective in a single-handed technique. These findings provide empirical evidence of the importance of merging command selection and direct manipulation in menu design, a factor not often taken into consideration in the past. The findings also yield new insight into the relative importance of handedness and merging in the Toolglass technique.