Evaluating the impact of wait indicators on user visual imagery and speed perception in mobile application interfaces

The effectiveness of wait indicator design is heavily influenced by users' underlying perceptions. The purpose of this study was to explore users’ visual imagery and speed perceptions of wait indicators on a mobile application interface, and to propose a new research model that might be effective when considering the evaluation of other interface design projects. The multiple research methods used in this study include multidimensional scaling, factor analysis, the general linear model, and fuzzy logic theory. The results showed that there were significant differences in users' evaluations of visual imagery for different wait indicators. The triangulation fuzzy results divided the wait indicators into three groups, and found that they were designed in a form consistent with the users' visual imagery evaluation. Besides, some evaluations might make users perceive the wait to be short, such as the visual imagery of “vivid and unique.” When users perceived that wait indicators were quick, their positive imagery evaluation was also high. Therefore, interface designers need to consider the substitutability of wait indicator design. These results can be used as a practical design guide in perceptual research to help interface designers efficiently design wait indicators that match users' potential feelings.