Today’s technology produces increasingly sophisticated devices with more and more functions. Unfortunately, as our gadgets become more complex, they often become harder to use. The most successful devices are often the ones where much effort was devoted to strong user interface development. A quick look at three easy to use products illustrates this point.
Product One: The Nest Thermostat
The Nest Programmable Thermostat uses your behavior as part of its interface. You set up your Nest by twisting the outer ring left or right to get to the correct menu options and then tapping the center digital screen to make your choice. Then, for the next few days, you manually adjust the Nest so your home is comfortable. Nest is paying close attention, learning your preferences. Once that’s done, the Nest is programmed. If you change your habits by manually adjusting the temperature, Nest learns your new behavior.
Product Two: The Handpresso Wild Hybrid
Sometimes, the simplicity of a device’s design makes its use intuitive; the product is the interface. The Handpresso Wild Hybrid is a hand-powered portable espresso maker designed this way. The long cylinder is a hand-pump complete with pressure gauge. There is an obvious chamber for hot water and one for either ground coffee or E.S.E. coffee pods. You just pump it up, add hot water and coffee, then flip a switch to release a stream of fresh-brewed hot espresso.
Product Three: The Jitterbug One-Touch
Sometimes, an interface has to address specific needs. For instance, many elderly people have trouble using standard cell phones; the buttons are too small and there too many options and menus. The Jitterbug One-Touch solves those interface problems. It replaces the standard keypad with just three buttons: Operator, Home and 911. The Operator button connects you to a real live human that can place other calls for you or answer questions about your phone. The Home button dials a specific stored number and 911 connects you to emergency services. The layout of the phone is easy to understand and if you ever have any trouble, help is just the push of a button away.
Our technology gets more powerful every day and we have a wide range of exciting new products to prove it. But it doesn’t matter how wonderful that new gadget is if you just can’t figure out how to make it work. As the above products demonstrate, devoting resources to strong user interface development makes good business sense. Successful gadgets are gadgets that anyone can use.
Product One: The Nest Thermostat
The Nest Programmable Thermostat uses your behavior as part of its interface. You set up your Nest by twisting the outer ring left or right to get to the correct menu options and then tapping the center digital screen to make your choice. Then, for the next few days, you manually adjust the Nest so your home is comfortable. Nest is paying close attention, learning your preferences. Once that’s done, the Nest is programmed. If you change your habits by manually adjusting the temperature, Nest learns your new behavior.
Sometimes, the simplicity of a device’s design makes its use intuitive; the product is the interface. The Handpresso Wild Hybrid is a hand-powered portable espresso maker designed this way. The long cylinder is a hand-pump complete with pressure gauge. There is an obvious chamber for hot water and one for either ground coffee or E.S.E. coffee pods. You just pump it up, add hot water and coffee, then flip a switch to release a stream of fresh-brewed hot espresso.
Product Three: The Jitterbug One-Touch
Sometimes, an interface has to address specific needs. For instance, many elderly people have trouble using standard cell phones; the buttons are too small and there too many options and menus. The Jitterbug One-Touch solves those interface problems. It replaces the standard keypad with just three buttons: Operator, Home and 911. The Operator button connects you to a real live human that can place other calls for you or answer questions about your phone. The Home button dials a specific stored number and 911 connects you to emergency services. The layout of the phone is easy to understand and if you ever have any trouble, help is just the push of a button away.
Our technology gets more powerful every day and we have a wide range of exciting new products to prove it. But it doesn’t matter how wonderful that new gadget is if you just can’t figure out how to make it work. As the above products demonstrate, devoting resources to strong user interface development makes good business sense. Successful gadgets are gadgets that anyone can use.
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