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 Design For Use
What do we mean when we say design for use? Well, when you design
a touch panel, take into consideration who will be using it
and how will it be used. Will it be an operators panel that
is more complex but which allows for greater technical flexibility?
Or will it be an executive panel that must look impressive but
have limited functionality with fewer options?
The Operators Panel
This is probably the most complex of all panels because it is
aimed at users that have advanced knowledge of the system. With
their knowledge comes the need for greater control over the
equipment. The upside of the operators panel is that it gives
the user much finer granularity over how they can control the
equipment. The down side is that this type of panel demands
more training so if untrained users need to operate it, it will
be more difficult to use. Typically, there are fewer graphical
"bells and whistles" on an operator or tech panel.
Also, tech or operator panels tend to be larger to accommodate
the extra control elements.
Simple Operators Panel |
The Executive Panel
With users becoming more "tech savvy", the executive
panels have become more complex. Undoubtedly the executive panel
will need to look slick and clean. With fewer buttons, it will
need more "one touch" buttons that will accomplish
many tasks with the touch of a single button. A good example
of this is when a users selects an input source, the lights
are dimmed, the screen lowers, the projector is turned on and
the equipment routes the appropriate input to the correct outputs.
Simple Executive Panel |
The Hybrid Panel
A hybrid panel will provide two modes of operation. One mode
will be a full control operators interface while the other mode
is a simple and clean executive panel. These are more expensive
and complex to design but in the end many panels reach this
point eventually so it is better to build in the features up
front!
Simple Hybrid Panel |
The
Reality or Mimic Panel
The reality panel is a touch panel that mimics a real life process.
It could be a microphone switching panel with the outline of
a boardroom table with buttons that represent mics that can
be turned on or off. It could be a blueprint-like image of a
prison cell block with door opening and closing buttons. These
panels should stand on their own and not be cluttered with unrelated
controls.
Simple Mimic Panel |
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Crestron.DavidCameronDesign.com
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Step-by-step
How to create a killer touch panel
