Yes, it’s funny, but it’s also a very good idea. Remote controls are among the worst-designed pieces of technology we have to deal with these days. They’re being replaced, somehow, but even more complicated controllers, but one of these days we’ll get it right.
Anyway, considering how hard it is for someone who grew up around these things to get anything done (that’s yours truly), I don’t hold it against my Grandma when she can’t figure out how to get back to the TV from the DVD player interface. There’s probably a way of doing this “mod” that’s a little more tasteful, but the idea is totally sound.
It’s nabbed from Designing Interactions, a new book from IDEO co-founder Bill Moggridge. You can bet he’s got a few more pieces of good advice in there as well — I’m sure he’d take it ill if you just thought he came up with remote mods.
I’ve totally had both those clickers, too. That’s kind of weird.
[via Divine Caroline and Reddit]
Epic Win
hahahahahahaha
I think i might consider doing one of thoses for me
touch screen<– this will allow you to get rid of the unused buttons. It will also allow you to merge multiple remotes into 1.
http://www.guijaboard.com/graphic_image/rc_old/100bucks.png
are you serious? that thing has both an “ON” and an “OFF” button.
Normally i dont have an ON command but some people use them. Seperate ON and OFF commands are discrete so that you dont have to know the state of something before triggering a macro.
The link was to a rough template that can be completely customized and edited to suit the customers needs. A programmer puts all the buttons for every device on the template then removes anything thats not needed or causes confusion.
The TIVO icon, when pressed would turn the tv on, the audio video receiver on, it would select the correct inputs on the TV and audio video receiver. It would set the startup volume to a specific level and dim the lights and set the thermostat and arm the security system if you wanted it to :).
If you dont have discrete ON and OFF and you only have a power button theres no way to know what state the system is in and your OFF macro would turn things ON and vice versa.
The beauty of a touchscreen is that you can have just the buttons you need/want and nothing else. If you select discretely controlled products you can automate a lot of the PITA steps for getting a complicated system running. So rather than stick grandma with the cheap TV and cable box remove with paper taped over it.. get her a nice surround sound system and a PC programmable touchscreen controller so it can be as easy or easier to operate than anything else shes ever used.
Remote controls do seem to be getting more and more complex and therefore more and more difficult to use, ironically as recording programmes is getting simpler and easier.
Whoever designs these things was clearly ill the day they covered KISS on their design course. (That is ‘keep it simple stupid’, not the dodgy rock band)
Thats going too suck when someone has to use a button thats covered up.
Brandon, the whole point of this is that there are too many buttons on remotes now adays. All you really need are volume, channel and on/off.
So, how do you change between your DVD/PS3/Xbox 360/ Media Center/Wii/TV/Receiver/Satellite Box/ etc.
Up, down, volume and numbers just don’t cut it. Epic FAIL. Sorry. I’ll take a Harmony with lots of buttons over one of those any day. Otherwise, you end up with 10 of those lying around and there is no way that would be easier.
Unless you are joking, this is clearly designed for people who only need TV and nothing else e.g. Grandparents.
*hand passing over head motion*
I just love the design with the stickers :)