A higher bar of quality
With a simple swipe of a smartphone we launch into controlling and connecting to the world around us. Why does a physician treating patients interact with outdated machine user interfaces to provide a diagnostic? Why does an operator in a factory cycle through dull menus on a tiny screen to accomplish their daily tasks? The answer should be; they don’t! But within the world of industry, where operational efficiency is paramount, the machine user interface has for too long been a hindrance. Overly-complex implementations of the Human Machine Interface (HMI) is negatively impacting global productivity – a problem that can be turned into an advantage with good design. As consumer devices continue to raise people’s expectation of user interface design, a ‘good enough’ digital interface is no longer acceptable on professional equipment.
Human Machine Interface in a recycling plant
A competitive advantage
Although great design is still primarily attributed to large consumer brands such as Apple, Nike, Samsung and Google, a growing number of pioneers within the industrial world (like Tomra or Honeywell) are realising the competitive advantage of developing design-centric strategies and user-centric experiences.
“Over the past decade design-led firms have achieved a 219% higher return than the rest of the S&P500 companies.” – Design Management Index
Design begins at the top. Leaders in these companies are asking; Do our products and services reflect our ambitious brand values? Are the various user touch points holistically designed? Can a worker can move effortlessly between our different machines? Are our customers empowered?
Industries such as healthcare, manufacturing or energy where HMIs are prevalent, are particularly slow in capitalising on the value of good design. We have identified a number of methods to implement when designing new user interactions that correlate with increased competitive advantage.
3 practices to capture the benefits of good HMI design
Below are three design practices illustrating how a superior Human Machine Interface can lead to various forms of competitive advantage, highlighting the user experience principles to consider in the process.
1. Think Holistically
Successful brands don’t consider products in isolation. They consider a system-design approach, where complete services with multiple touch points are designed holistically; from machine user interfaces, to desktop portals, to mobile/cloud UI, to the machines themselves. Ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience across all touch points is a brand-building strategy. It limits user pain-points, enhances brand awareness and elevates a brand’s status in the eyes of your current and future users.
Think holistically about every way a customer will interact with your brand. Set out a strategic vision to consolidate all the disparate touch points into a singular, intuitive experience. Customers don’t distinguish between physical and digital interactions with brands, so ensure they are designed to reflect a unified vision.
