‘User interfaces are everywhere, from mobile phones to television remote controls, from washing machines to car steering wheels. Spend some time consciously looking at the interfaces that you regularly come in contact with and reflect on how well they work as interactive devices. Could you understand the function of the buttons without reading the instruction manual? How easy or intuitive are they to use? Is the interface using visual metaphors to help you? What responsive cues are you getting back from them?
Reflect on your experience of these interfaces from a design perspective. Look at how they’ve been constructed and think about any possible improvements you could make. You may want to widen your research and look at current developments in other forms of interface design or trace the development of interfaces you have a particular interest in.’
User interfaces, or UI as they’re commonly referred to, are everywhere in everyday life. Perhaps this is a sign of a good UI, that they often go unnoticed. Common examples are things such as TV remotes, car steering wheels, microwaves, mobile phones, the list goes on…
I suppose one of the key features of a UI is it’s ability to be instantly understood. A good example of this is, if you were to pick up a TV remote of a TV that isn’t your own, I think 99% of us could immediately work out how to turn the volume up or down. This is not luck, this is due to a cleverly designed button, with labels. Often a longer button, featuring a plus (to increase) and a minus (to decrease). They are more often than not, in a vertical format, another clue as to what the button’s purpose it, again up to increase and down to decrease.
A second example might be found inside your car. The importance of an effective UI is paramount inside a vehicle. The driver has to concentrate on the road, so any button or interface needs to be super easy to understand and activate so as not to distract the driver’s attention. These buttons are often found on steering wheels, where they are easily accessible to the driver. Cruise control, volume and even next track buttons can all be found on them. They often work in a similar way to the aforementioned tv remotes in that plus and minus symbols are widely used, and repeating arrows used to denote a ‘next’ or ‘previous’ button.
One improvement, or development I have seen to this recently, is the introduction of gesture control within cars. BMW especially have begun to introduce gesture control to their newest models. Namely, this eliminates the need for so many buttons, and allows the driver to operate the interface system with either their voice or by making very simple hand gestures. A very simple solution indeed! As with all new developments and technologies though, there is still room for improvement, but this is certainly something I see become commonplace in cars within the next 5 or so years.
Jon Lawrence Learning Log 