Abstract
Financial planning and decision making for the general public continues to vex and perplex in equal measure. Whilst the tools presented by a typical desktop computer should make the task easier, the recent financial crisis confirms the increasing difficulty that people have in calculating the benefits of deferring consumption for future gains (i.e. Saving). We present an interactive concept demonstration for Microsoft SurfaceTM that tackles two of the key barriers to saving decision making. Firstly we show an interface that avoid the laborious writing down or inputting of data and instead embodies the cognitive decision of allocation of resources in a physical gesture based interface, where the scale of the investment or expenditure correlates with the scale of the gesture. Second we show how a fast-forward based animation can demonstrate the impact of small increments in savings to a long term savings goal in a strategy game-based, interactive format. The platform uses custom software (XNATM format) as opposed to the more usual WPFTM format found on Surface applications. This enables dynamic 3-D graphical icons to be used to maximize the interactive appeal of the interface. Demonstration and test trial feedback indicates that this platform can be adapted to suit the narrative of individual purchasing decisions to inform educate diverse user groups about the long term consequences of small financial decisionsEye-tracking, awareness tools, machine learning, coordination, expertise
Highlights
Buy today, or save for a rainy day? The fundamental debate of the average student saver; this question underlies a fundamental error of human reasoning known as discounting of future gains [1,2,3]
There are two models for the curve of future discount but both are potentially addressable by a system that increases the salience and immediacy of the future gain[4]
The system can be used in a experimental situation to test the predictions of two different models of discounted future gains[e.g., 9,10]
Summary
Financial planning and decision making for the general public continues to vex and perplex in equal measure. We present an interactive concept demonstration for Microsoft SurfaceTM that tackles two of the key barriers to saving decision making. The platform uses custom software (XNATM format) as opposed to the more usual WPFTM format found on Surface applications. This enables dynamic 3-D graphical icons to be used to maximize the interactive appeal of the interface. Demonstration and test trial feedback indicates that this platform can be adapted to suit the narrative of individual purchasing decisions to inform educate diverse user groups about the long term consequences of small financial decisionsEye-tracking, awareness tools, machine learning, coordination, expertise. Artistic and aesthetic aspects of interaction and interface design, Computer games design and development, Information visualization and presentation, Innovative interface design, Interface agents and interface characters, Multimodal interfaces, New interaction techniques and devices, Play and the use of play, Microsoft Surface, XNATM, WPFTM
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