- Photos of the control interface:
- Gif of the interface in action:
- Issues with the current design:
The current design could use improvements for several reasons. First of all, the “close door” button doesn’t seem to do anything. Secondly, it may be difficult for visually impaired users to know which floor the elevator has stopped at when it stops.
- Think about the common things that you use an elevator. List your most common uses and other more rare uses. Does the interface make doing those common things easier?:
The most common use cases for an elevator are going up and going down. Rarer use cases include if the elevator gets stuck and there is someone inside who needs to get someone’s attention. The interface is well designed for the common use cases, but looking at this elevator’s interface, I have questions about which button would be pressed if it was stuck, the bell or the phone? On one hand, the bell looks like it would be an alarm, like something is wrong. The phone on the other hand, looks like I could talk to an operator or someone who knows what to do about the elevator being stuck. And I have to wonder what the braille on the buttons says to clarify this, because surely they don’t say “Bell” and “Phone”.
- Think about how the user interacts with the elevator. What is the common sequence of actions?
The common sequence of actions is to start outside the elevator and press a button for which direction you want to go. Then, when the elevator opens, the user enters and presses a button for which floor they want to go to.
- How does the elevator support the user figure out how to make it work?
The elevator has clearly labeled buttons for the floors and easily recognizable buttons outside that indicate which direction you want to go.
- How does the elevator provide feedback to the user?
This elevator provides feedback to the user by turning on a light by the pressed button, letting them know it is aware the button was pressed. Inside the elevator, it also tells the passengers which floor the elevator is on and which direction it is going.
- What are some common mistakes you can make with this current design?
I can’t imagine making any common mistakes with this design.
- Suggest the improvements to make on the control interface. Sketch your solution. And justify your design decisions.
One improvement I suggest for this design is to add labels to the buttons, such as “Open Doors”, “Close Doors”, “Ring Alarm Bell” and “Call for Help”. This would help clarify what they are supposed to be used for. Another improvement I would make is have it say on the speaker which floor it stopped on, to make it easier for visually impaired users to know which floor the elevator has arrived at.
