Effect of Bezel Presence and Width on Visual Search

Abstract

We investigate how the presence and width of interior bezels impacts visual search performance across tiled displays. In spite of a potential benefit from structured segmentation, we do not find significant differences in visual search time, and note a small effect size of less than 0.5% for bezel width. However, we find participants are more accurate when searching for targets spanning a bezel. Based on these findings, we suggest two implications for the design of tiled displays: 1) that additional costs associated with thinner bezels may not provide significant return on investment; and 2) that bezels may act as visual anchors, and be useful for the placement of interface elements.