Designing Devices

I’ve collected and revised these essays along with others written elsewhere and new material into one easy ebook. Designing Devices is available now from Amazon, for the low low price of $3.99 USD or €3.

One of the decisions facing device designers is whether or not to have a display screen on the device. The decision is both aesthetic and functional.

I believe there is still a place for single-function devices, under specific circumstances.

For the purposes of this blog/book, a device is any object whose mechanical and/or electrical workings are controlled or monitored by a microprocessor. In other words, objects that are made up of both hardware and software.

A decision for designers is not just which controls to have, but where to put them: on, near, or remote.

One of the central tasks of any device designer is to create the interaction model. The interaction model is the overarching framework that ties the functionality together into a unified whole.

A differentiator is a characteristic that, all other characteristics being equal, would cause a user to choose one device over another.

It helps to consider these device categories, because each brings with it different expectations as to how to engage with the device and what kinds of functionality might be available, not to mention qualities such as durability and cost. Device designers need to be aware of this when considering what form a device should take.

Every button, slider, switch, knob, or dial represents a choice. Two choices, actually: the choice to have it, and the choice to use it.

All devices start with an idea. It might not be much of an idea, but you have to start somewhere.