301.519.9237 exdirector@nesaus.org

7.11.18 – CI –

User interface design has to improve if we want to reach younger customers (who aren’t so young anymore). Here are some UI design tips.

Most of us in the AV industry — especially the few “bratty” millennials — were not trained on how to use Windows, MacOSx, iOS, and Android. We simply grokked them and moved on, mostly because of their competent user interface design.

We appreciate intelligent user interfaces and don’t understand why anyone should have to suffer the clunky, hack-job UI that’s so pervasive on typical AV touch panels or physical button panels.

The successful user interface design must be an extension of the good UI we already know is available, and the room utility should be simple, straightforward and deliberate (nothing more).

There is nothing worse than digging for the HDMI plug in a table cubby only to find one broken RGB and one with 2 colors working.

Regardless of the size or type of space (collaboration areas, small huddle rooms, larger rooms), the last 6 feet of connectivity is critical to the room’s utility. Make sure that it is always working, always current, and above all, always guest-friendly.

Some quick user interface design best practices:

  • It all comes down to productivity gains and having the right space for the job to be done
  • Clients will keep investing in technology if the return on investment is proven
  • AV systems and spaces must be flexible and transparent to geographical and time zone boundaries
  • While digital interactions are preferred, it’s useless if connecting is time consuming

Have you ever played the game where you guess everyone’s salary and benefits, add them together, and divide by the time wasted to get connected to the screen, to the phone conference, or to the screen share?

It is amazing how much wasted time and wasted resources we tolerate. There has to be a better, faster and simpler way — but for the time being, you may want to compare your UI design to what millennials would use naturally.