| When developing equipment, it's easy to get so | | | | into the custom keypads of modern mobile |
| focused on the engineering that you forget the | | | | phones even though the control design makes |
| people who will be using the machine. The result | | | | little sense today. |
| can be less efficient control systems and | | | | Designers of any equipment need to ask |
| ill-designed custom keypads. | | | | themselves periodically if traditional control |
| Case In Point: Thumb Size and Texting | | | | systems still make sense. As technology changes, |
| The May 2008 issue of the Journal of Usability | | | | control systems need to change with them. Fitting |
| Studies had an article titled, "A Study of the | | | | machinery with custom keypads designed to fit |
| Effect of Thumb Sizes on Mobile Phone Texting | | | | the needs of the modern user will lead to items |
| Satisfaction". The authors conducted a study of | | | | which are easier to use and more satisfactory to |
| 110 adults texting from their own mobile phones. | | | | customers. |
| It correlated thumb length and circumference with | | | | Usability Tests Provide Guidelines |
| texting satisfaction. | | | | Rather than staying with the same old control |
| The study showed that today's cell phones with | | | | systems, many manufacturers are conducting |
| their traditional 4x3 key layout are not well suited | | | | tests similar to the one mentioned above to |
| for texting. As phones and their custom keypads | | | | gauge how effectively end users can operate the |
| have become smaller, it has become more | | | | equipment. These tests often reveal control |
| difficult for users to text comfortably. The | | | | problems that even the users aren't aware of. |
| authors recommended phone manufacturers use | | | | Customers get used to an old, inefficient system |
| larger, more widely spaced keys to better | | | | and don't realize there is a better way. |
| accommodate texting. They also made the radical | | | | New control systems don't have to mean radical |
| suggestion that the layout of letters on the keys | | | | design changes. Small adjustments in control |
| be changed so more common letters are placed | | | | positioning can make significant differences in ease |
| on the middle key with the least used letters | | | | of operation. In particular, as electronics become |
| placed in the right column. | | | | smaller there is a realistic limit to how small the |
| Designing Outside the Box | | | | control panels can become. Interviewing users |
| Texting is a good example of how an archaic | | | | about their satisfaction with control systems can |
| control design inhibits modern use. Telephone | | | | reveal that custom keypads have become too |
| keypads were designed for desktop and wall | | | | small. |
| mounted phones that were dialed with an index | | | | Manufacturers should re-examine control systems |
| finger rather than by thumb while held in the hand. | | | | as a routine part of the design process. Recruiting |
| The letters themselves are result of the | | | | end users to test prototypes allows the company |
| long-obsolete practice of naming telephone | | | | a chance to refine controls and make the |
| exchanges. These conventions have been carried | | | | equipment more accessible. |