Better Appliance UX
My "UX of Home Appliances" tweets got a bit of traction so I'm being a bit more proactive, showing how I'd solve the problem. Let's start with the original confusing design:
Heavy borders, Packed grid, Abbreviated text, Excessive functions, ALL CAPS
It's lazy to try a redesign using a full digital screen with 1000s of colors. I'm going to constrain myself to monochrome, using basic silkscreened paint on a simple touch surface. Stick with the technology you're given whenever possible.
First pass is just visual, keeping the original text. It's a big improvement but it only shows how much more there is: the text is too complicated, things don't line up and any simple "just make it turn on" feeling is not there. We need to go deeper.
Second pass is a just a sketch, not a final design, but is simplifies the text and prioritizes functions. It raises a TON of questions:
- How to handle convection
- How did the original design TURN OFF the oven?
- Who uses ROAST?
- Delay vs start/stop?
- Feedback for toggle commands (LIGHT & PROBE)
Some of these are trivial (use the display for feedback on the toggle commands) some are solvable (we need a better "on/off model" for the user) and some will be hard (marketing will fall on their sword to have ROAST)
But this is the divergent part of design, we're a velociraptor testing the electric fence. This type of work can be infuriating to clients as it feels like a step backwards. You share this work cautiously but start the conversation, getting agreement on the fundamentals.
It is certainly possible to make things better with a visual refresh. However, to truly make something customers will love, you must go deeper and radically simplify the product structure.
UX Interaction Designer
3yLove the way you're sensitive to the realities of marketing. It would be great to do an analysis in terms of Design Thinking, although I have found in reality that no company will give designers the time to perform every stage of Design Thinking.