MICROWAVE UI REDESIGN
A 3-week project with two goals:
Uncover what are the functions people use on a microwave
Create a more streamlined microwave UI based on user data.
Microwave Interfaces are a mess.
Microwaves very often have cluttered interfaces which have not changed very much over the years. I realized that I don’t use the majority of the buttons on my own microwave, and wondered if it would be possible to create a cleaner, less cluttered interface.
Step 1: User Research
Before designing a more efficient microwave interface, I needed to find out what were the features that were most important to users. To do this, I put out two surveys asking users how often they use the features found on most microwaves.
Participants reported the following (Categories grouped by frequency):
Insights
Numbers 4 and above and 0 are infrequently used
Key Takeaways
Having every number on the microwave interface is unnecessary
Insights
Defrost settings are infrequently used
Power setting rarely adjusted
Kitchen timer function rarely used
Food preset buttons rarely used
Key Takeaways
Defrost settings unnecessary
Power setting button unnecessary
Kitchen timer function unnecessary
Presets unnecessary
Insights
Respondents rarely use microwave to defrost food due to personal preference (as opposed to being unaware of how to use defrost function)
52% of respondents never adjust microwave power setting because they find it unnecessary (as opposed to not knowing how to change power settings)
Most respondents never input a time not ending in :00 or :30
Most respondents never check time using microwave clock
Key Takeaways
Defrost settings unnecessary
Power adjustment settings unnecessary
“Time cook” function unnecessary
Microwave clock and clock buttons unnecessary
Step 2: The Redesign
Using the insights gained from users I created a minimalist microwave interface that is free from unnecessary features while simplifying the essential task of a microwave.
Light-to-dark color scheme of the time buttons gives an added visual cue, eliminating the necessity of reading the buttons every time.
Next Steps
The aim of this project was to find out what are the features that are most important to users and to build the most minimalist interface possible. however, it’s possible that the interface I created is too minimalist and would not meet a users day-to-day needs. Usability testing will be necessary to confirm if my design is practical or not.
In addition, there are a few ideas that came to me during this project that I think may be worth exploring. A majority of users reported that they do not change the power settings because they do not find it necessary, but would enabling the user to more easily adjust the power setting increase the usage and thus the utility? In my opinion, changing the power setting is not straightforward and this may be a reason why users don’t use it. Designing an interface with a simplified power-setting method and running usability tests would answer this.