Spatial Context Switches During Knowledge Tasks in Extended Reality

Current Extended Reality (XR) devices are increasingly being used as productivity tools. Compared to conventional setups, they allow for more flexibility in dynamic work locations beyond the desktop while providing a large virtual workspace. Recent research has explored how users organize digital documents and how virtual interfaces could be adapted to different locations and scenarios. However, there has been limited research on how location changes affect productivity tasks in XR environments and how users manually adapt virtual content layouts after such task interruptions. To address this, we conducted an exploratory user study (N=17) in which participants worked on a document-centered organization and planning task while changing locations every five minutes. We examined how these spatial transitions interfered with the task and identified layout strategies and patterns. From our observations and participant responses, we derived a set of design guidelines to inform the development of future XR knowledge work systems in mobile contexts.