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User Interface Design Book for Electronic Devices?
ikeleib asks: "I'm in the process of developing a HVAC control system. The problem with most programmable thermostats and just about every other electronic devices is that they are hard to use. I've been trying to find a book on user interface design for electronic devices. All the books I've seen on interface design seem to focus on GUI's. Does anyone know of good books (or websites) on interface design for electronics? I'm talking about buttons and tiny screens, not web pages and dialog boxes. I've only been able to find one book (for $104)."
1. Write down every feature that your device has.....Categorise them as best as possible. This will help you develop an intuitive menu system.
This is the "feature-based" approach, which is sometimes the best way to go.
The alternative is the "task-based" approach. Instead of listing features, in this approach you attempt to put yourself in the shoes of your users and ask yourself what tasks you are likely to want to perform. Then you organise the interface around the list of tasks.
In GUIs, most menu systems are examples of the features approach, whereas wizards are an example of the task approach. Note that documentation can also be split in this way, between task-based and feature-based.
The features approach is the safest and easiest way, but the end result is never very impressive. The task approach, when done well, is fantastic, but when done poorly (or in inappropriate circumstances), is a nightmare, where the tasks don't match what the user wants, and the individual features have been buried inaccessably within the tasks.
#2. If I/O gets tight... multiplex it, and go back to step #1... no control should be multi-purpose!
--Mike--