Slides from my ASSETS2015 talk on the UX of subtitle position. Work done with Robert Gordon University and BBC R&D.

1. Online News Videos
The UX of Subtitle PositionMichael Crabb
Robert Gordon University
Rhianne Jones
BBC R&D
Mike Armstrong
BBC R&D
Chris Hughes
BBC R&D

3. In todays news, there is nothing really
important going on and everything is fine.
Nothing to worry about at all

4. caution
subtitles ahead

6. 256millionvisitors per week

10. within below
small
large

11. chat Chit
chat?
Chit Chat
Chit!

13. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
FamiliarityUsefulness
Usability
endurability

14. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
FamiliarityUsefulness
Usability
endurability

15. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
FamiliarityUsefulness
Usability
endurability
within video below video

16. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
FamiliarityUsefulness
Usability
endurability
Small Video Large Video

17. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability

18. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability

19. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability
“I prefer having the subtitles underneath the
footage. It’s not super imposed on the image it
seems more like part of the image “

20. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability
“I’d know better if I was to spend a week
watching and trying this out “

21. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability
I much prefer having the subtitles below the
screen because you’re not missing anything.
“They are almost integrated and you are
paying attention to both things [subtitles
and video content] at once. “

22. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability
“As you get older your peripheral vision shrinks,
and for that reason having it compact is better.
Having subtitles underneath I have to move
around a lot more”

23. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability
“I think that below is more apparent, but it
doesn’t show off to my eyes as muCh“

24. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability
When things are moving around in the background
behind the subtitles it can be difficult, it’s hard
to use.

25. Aesthetics
Involvement
Attention
Familiarity
Usefulness
Usability
endurability
“it felt a bit more natural. It was still weird
seeing it not hovering like it normally is with the
white writing over the picture “

26. ALTERNATIVE
Subtitle Position

27. I’m used to reading it along the bottom but
I'd prefer it at the top. If the kids are in the
way I don’t need to get them to move I can
just look at the top.

29. “I don’t want to seem really picky because
subtitles are subtitles”
“when you’re deaf and you’re used to being
deaf, just having any subtitles at all is a big
improvement so I’m not too fussy “

30. ONE
Positioning subtitles below a video clip in a web
browser, rather than within the video, leads to
an increase in user experience

31. TWO
Personalisation of subtitle position is viewed
positively by participants.

32. THREE
The UX of Subtitled Video Content can only be
measured when users believe that adequate
access to subtitles exists.

33. Online News Videos
The UX of Subtitle PositionMichael Crabb
Robert Gordon University
Rhianne Jones
BBC R&D
Mike Armstrong
BBC R&D
Chris Hughes
BBC R&D