Keylekh: a keyboard for text entry in indic scripts

ABSTRACT

Typing in an Indian language is currently not an easy task. Significant training is required before one can achieve an acceptable speed and only professional typists make the investment. Part of the complexity arises due to the structure of Indic scripts and large number of characters in each script. Solutions to input text in Indic languages have been around for a while, but none of these are usable enough to emerge as the de-facto standard. Here we describe the design of a new keyboard based on the structure of the Indic alphabet. The project went through cycles of design, prototyping and user evaluation. The evaluation was done by multiple techniques - usability tests, informal demonstrations, road shows and a typing competition. We particularly found the road shows and the competition useful for gathering feedback for this type of products.

REFERENCES

• 1: Census of India, English as second and third language among speakers of scheduled languages, http://www.censusindia.net/cendat/language/table4_E.PDF, 1991 data.
• 2: Dataflow, Indian Language DTP, http://www.devyani.com/et/indian.htm.
• 3: Economic Times, Mumbai, "Metros make up 50% in PC sales in April to September", January 7, 2004.
• 4: Indiantelevision.com, The Numero Uno shows in C&S and all TV homes, http://www.indiantelevision.com/tvr/indexorgarch.php4?startperiod=08/04/2002&endperiod=14/04/2002.
• 5: Norman, D., Design of Everyday Things, Basic Books, 1988, 145--151.
• 6: Rathod, A., Joshi, A., Athvankar, U., Devnagari Text Input Device, Master of Design Project Thesis, Industrial Design Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, 2002.
• 7: Registrar of Newspapers of India, General Review, http://rni.nic.in/pii2002.html, 2002 data.
• 8: Smith, A., Ghosh, K., Joshi, A., Usability and HCI in India: cultural and technological determinants, HCI International (Crete, June 2003).

INDEX TERMS

Classification:
  B. Hardware
  B.4 INPUT/OUTPUT AND DATA COMMUNICATIONS
      B.4.2 Input/Output Devices

  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques
          Subjects: User interfaces

  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Evaluation/methodology

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
appropriate design, competition, digital divide, indian language computing, iterative design, multi-cultural design, road shows, text input devices