This paper presents a user study investigating the effect of directional cues and ease of performing deformation gestures on gesture action mappings. We selected four gestures of one-handed landscape mode interaction and twelve actions associated with different spatial directions for the mapping task. We evaluated thirty participants' preferences and appropriateness scores for mappings and ease of performing the gestures. We found that the Top-right-corner Bend-upward gesture is the easiest to perform and it constitutes the significantly most appropriate gesture action mappings that are majority preferred. We also found that directional cue, size of deformation, and the required effort in performing the gesture play important roles in user-preferred and appropriate mapping along with ease of performing the gestures. We also noticed that bend gestures at the corners and sides allow users to perceive multiple distinct directional cues, and they are suitable for mapping with multiple actions associated with different spatial directions. © 2021 ACM.