ANALYSIS-MARKET-TRENDS
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Thumb’s up for ease of use
The user interface is fast becoming a key differentiator, a 'make or
break' component of today's complex electronic devices. Until
recently, functionality was the critical issue. Products were
replaced not because they were worn out, but because the next version
had more features. But there is a subtle change occurring, in
part, as a result of this explosion in complexity. Ease of use,
intuitive operation and innovative, yet effective, user interfaces are
the name of the game today.
Examples include the Cube radio which changes station depending on which face is uppermost, and the Apple iPhone's ability to sense orientation and display data accordingly. The technology behind these breakthroughs is barely of interest to the consumer (MEMS-based accelerometers, if you need to know!). And this is the point that many companies have missed. For years now, engineers have been driven to increase functionality, reduce the size, and importantly, the cost. Methodologies such as design re-use and platform based design, have meant that designers have had little opportunity to consider the all-important issue of ease of use. They have been too focused on generating derivative products swiftly.
With the focus on consumer devices, primarily for the fashion-conscious, and technology-minded people, it is easy to forget older and less technology-savvy people. Yet the population in many western societies is ageing, and they are typically more wealthy than the young. Emerging technology markets also, are less familiar with the intricacies of operating complex electronic devices. Even the young are rebelling against tiny, multicharacter keyboards and deeply nested menus.
Upcoming technologies such as NFC (near field communication) are likely to appeal universally because they are easy to use. Just wave your mobile device close to a receiver and it will automatically, intuitively know whether you are wanting to pay for goods, access a theatre or exchange business contact details with a colleague. We're going to see a lot more gesture recognition, whether it is hand waving, finger pointing, head turning, or eye movements, which can be used to wake up devices in sleep mode, change radio channels, or initiate a data transaction.
User interface technologies, some developed decades ago, such as touch screens, voice and character recognition, are enjoying a renaissance. Initial poor acceptance of these technologies is being overcome with more sophisticated tactile and audiovisual feedback mechanisms, faster response times and elegant displays.
Hooked on the 'look and feel'
Designers are paying more attention to the user interface. A fresh approach will result in a pre-emptive operating environment, particularly when combined with incorporating motion detection or position sensing, for example. It is not necessarily the new technology that makes the difference, but the clever implementation and programming. Ideas include shaking a phone to answer a call, and laying it display side down to switch to power saving mode. Multifunction devices need to employ a full range of outputs - display, audio, vibration - to catch the attention of the user to present important information. The most innovative designers are exploiting today's sophisticated colour graphics and layered multiwindow displays to great effect. Look out for new initiatives seeking to avoid mouse clicks, for example.
The user interface is destined to become a 'loyalty' feature, such that delighted customers become hooked on a particular vendor's 'look and feel'. But, more than a century after the first typewriter was built, why, oh why are we still hooked to the qwerty keyboard?
Examples include the Cube radio which changes station depending on which face is uppermost, and the Apple iPhone's ability to sense orientation and display data accordingly. The technology behind these breakthroughs is barely of interest to the consumer (MEMS-based accelerometers, if you need to know!). And this is the point that many companies have missed. For years now, engineers have been driven to increase functionality, reduce the size, and importantly, the cost. Methodologies such as design re-use and platform based design, have meant that designers have had little opportunity to consider the all-important issue of ease of use. They have been too focused on generating derivative products swiftly.
With the focus on consumer devices, primarily for the fashion-conscious, and technology-minded people, it is easy to forget older and less technology-savvy people. Yet the population in many western societies is ageing, and they are typically more wealthy than the young. Emerging technology markets also, are less familiar with the intricacies of operating complex electronic devices. Even the young are rebelling against tiny, multicharacter keyboards and deeply nested menus.
Upcoming technologies such as NFC (near field communication) are likely to appeal universally because they are easy to use. Just wave your mobile device close to a receiver and it will automatically, intuitively know whether you are wanting to pay for goods, access a theatre or exchange business contact details with a colleague. We're going to see a lot more gesture recognition, whether it is hand waving, finger pointing, head turning, or eye movements, which can be used to wake up devices in sleep mode, change radio channels, or initiate a data transaction.
User interface technologies, some developed decades ago, such as touch screens, voice and character recognition, are enjoying a renaissance. Initial poor acceptance of these technologies is being overcome with more sophisticated tactile and audiovisual feedback mechanisms, faster response times and elegant displays.
Hooked on the 'look and feel'
Designers are paying more attention to the user interface. A fresh approach will result in a pre-emptive operating environment, particularly when combined with incorporating motion detection or position sensing, for example. It is not necessarily the new technology that makes the difference, but the clever implementation and programming. Ideas include shaking a phone to answer a call, and laying it display side down to switch to power saving mode. Multifunction devices need to employ a full range of outputs - display, audio, vibration - to catch the attention of the user to present important information. The most innovative designers are exploiting today's sophisticated colour graphics and layered multiwindow displays to great effect. Look out for new initiatives seeking to avoid mouse clicks, for example.
The user interface is destined to become a 'loyalty' feature, such that delighted customers become hooked on a particular vendor's 'look and feel'. But, more than a century after the first typewriter was built, why, oh why are we still hooked to the qwerty keyboard?
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