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.