Making solid user interfaces work

Solid user interfaces are the key to many of the electronic products which people use in their everyday personal and working lives: domestic and consumer equipment, telephones, ticket machines, measuring and metering devices and so on. Despite their prevalence they have received relatively little research attention compared to the graphical user interfaces of computing systems, and are rarely considered as a class. This paper identifies the characteristics of SU Is that can help or constrain peoples' interactions with products. It highlights techniques for analysis, design and testing required to ensure that solid user interfaces are informative and easy to use.