Custom Keypad Interface Design Tips

When engineers design new equipment they focus on what the item does and create the user interface as an afterthought

. Often this results in a device that only an engineer can understand. Manufacturers who pay more attention to the design of controls such as custom keypads create a better experience for end users.

Usability

Usability is easy to understand: the ability to use something. Custom keypads should be designed with this concept in mind. It's not enough to create controls. Those controls must be intuitive and easy to operate or users will be frustrated.

Well-designed custom keypads allow users to operate the device with less training. Complex controls require a steep learning curve and some users may never become comfortable with the equipment. Sometimes complex controls are required but more often they are not.

Highly usable controls require less mental effort to operate. Users make fewer mistakes and can operate the device more efficiently. The tool can be used to do work faster than a competitor's model with a poorly-designed interface or can use to perform tasks rival devices can't.

User Enjoyment

Usability of custom keypads isn't a foreign concept to product design, although it is often overlooked, but there is another factor to consider: do users like to operate the device?

Engineers may shy away from such nebulous concepts as user happiness because it's not something easily measured. A usable interface allows the user to perform a task faster. An enjoyable interface has no directly measurable benefit. Users will feel better about doing their jobs and more confident in the equipment even if the device doesn't necessarily perform better.

Many factors contribute to the user's satisfaction. A reputable brand name in a clearly visible place makes users trust the equipment. Custom keypads use colors, shapes or tactile feedback to give users a pleasant sensory experience. The indefinable "cool factor" of a design is a strong element of user experience.

Backward Design

One of the best ways to design an effective control system is to start the design from the opposite end. The standard process is to decide what the machine should do, design a machine that does it, and then cobble together an interface that allows users to operate the machine. All ideas stem from the intended purpose of the device.

In backward design, engineers start with the custom keypads and other controls. They consider the actions the user will need to take to operate the device and design a control system to fit those actions. Once the control scheme is in place, they design a device to fit the controls. The user's experience is the motivator for all design ideas. The end result is equipment controls that are integrated heavily into the function of the machine. Operating such a device is more intuitive and efficient.

Try backward design on your next project and you'll find it is a natural way to consider equipment design.

by: Christine Harrell

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