GRIDS: Interactive Layout Design with Integer Programming
This addresses the problem of combinatorial explosion and complex objectives in layout design for designers, offering an interactive tool for real-time suggestions, though it is incremental as it applies existing optimization methods to a specific domain.
The paper tackles the time-consuming manual design of grid layouts for user interfaces by proposing a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model to generate diverse grid-based layouts, with evidence from studies (N=13 and N=16) showing benefits in early design stages.
Grid layouts are used by designers to spatially organise user interfaces when sketching and wireframing. However, their design is largely time consuming manual work. This is challenging due to combinatorial explosion and complex objectives, such as alignment, balance, and expectations regarding positions. This paper proposes a novel optimisation approach for the generation of diverse grid-based layouts. Our mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model offers a rigorous yet efficient method for grid generation that ensures packing, alignment, grouping, and preferential positioning of elements. Further, we present techniques for interactive diversification, enhancement, and completion of grid layouts (Figure 1). These capabilities are demonstrated using GRIDS1, a wireframing tool that provides designers with real-time layout suggestions. We report findings from a ratings study (N = 13) and a design study (N = 16), lending evidence for the benefit of computational grid generation during early stages of design.