Augmented reality is a popular interface for application domains ranging from medicine to entertainment, but it is not always clear that AR is the right choice. We provide a solid theoretical grounding that explains the underlying value of AR and uncover when it is a suitable interface. Our list of operational design advantages includes AR's inclusion of reality, virtual flexibility, invisible interface, and spatial awareness. This list is backed by four underlying cognitive theories: mental models and distributed, situated, and embodied cognition. We argue that the more design advantages a system incorporates, the better AR works as an interface. We also uncover a set of questions to be used in the design and evaluation of AR systems. With this, we can gain insight into the limited success of past projects and design better systems in the future.
We have submitted our paper to IEEE Pervasive Computing.