Induction cooktop

Induction cooktop

What is wrong?

Bad mapping

Does the left most knob control the left front or left read burner?

Errol R. Hoffmann & Alan H.S. Chan (2011): Alternative approaches to the design of four-burner stoves,

Ergonomics, 54:9, 777-791

Suggestion

Useful features to consider when buying an induction hob.

The arrangement of knobs controlling your stove burners should match the arrangement of the burners themselves.

What is wrong?

Interface

What can I do? How? Where?

- Too small icons (see the Fitts’s law*)

- Non-intuitive interface 

  (in an emergency you may waste time in choosing the right icon) 

* Fitts's Law states "...the time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target". As the distance increases, movement takes longer and as the size decreases selection again takes longer.

Suggestion

A big knob (real or virtual) is better than a small icon on the glass 

Perceived affordance: you can increase the selected power

Signifier (the where and the how): twisting the knob 

Feedback

LED surface lights shine onto pans to give the visual of gas cooking

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Washing machine _ interaction design

Washing machine:
What is wrong?

Bad communication between user and system.

 Bad communication between user and system.

Gulf of Execution: 

How do I know what I can do?

What actions are allowed by the system?

How do I do it?

Gulf of Evaluation:

How do I know what happened?

What does it mean?

Have I accomplished my goal?

 The position of the controls on the keyboard is not logical; the hand have to move from one extreme to another of the surface. Changing the cycle the washing machine automatically resets the spin.

 Examples of control panel that work better

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