How To Design With Digital in Mind

Today’s consumers have higher expectations of products’ capabilities than ever before. With the fast growth of smart technology, everyday appliances can now perform some pretty amazing tasks, making the ease and convenience once relegated to science fiction a reality available to millions.

With new features come new difficulties.Due to their increased complexity, connected devices must be designed differently than their low-tech predecessors. There are several factors that can influence the user experience that a connected device designer should keep in mind.

Does the Interface Match the User’s Abilities?

During product design and development, the primary focus should be on the intended use and the potential users. Is this meant to be operated by someone with specialized knowledge and previous experience with similar devices? Or is this meant to be utilized by anyone, with no or minimal training required?A new product design engineer familiar with a product’s purpose should first seek to understand the intended users’ technological literacy and plan accordingly.

Does the Design Take Mental Models Into Account?

When confronted with a new technology, people generally try to make sense of the novelty by relying on their history with items similar in form or function. For example, users unfamiliar with a touch screen may double tap a word to highlight it based on their experience double clicking with a mouse.

An IoT product designer can also increase ease of use by utilizing organizational methods that most people easily recognize. Familiar ways of arranging information include:

• Lists
• Menus
• Branching systems
• Charts and tables

Users are more likely to be comfortable using a product if they can easily navigate the system provided. Asking consumers to learn new methods of organizing information may be asking too much if they just want to do something as simple as checking today’s forecast.

Does the Design Overwhelm the User?

Just because a product can do a lot doesn’t mean your design needs to showcase it all at once. An interface needs to be clean and concise to help users get the most out of their experience in the simplest way possible. Thoughtful design can facilitate ease of use with even the most complicated devices.

As connected devices become more commonplace, the role of an IoT engineer can prove vital to product design & development companies. These innovations not only promise convenience to the average consumer, but practical solutions to businesses and organizations. A connected device designer can contribute to quality of life by creating quality interfaces that allow both expert users and regular people to access the newest technology.