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Membrane Panels

VeggiesVeggies
edited 2013-09-20 16:18:08 in General

You know, those control surfaces on various electronics that have little or no tactile separation between buttons, and you just sort of press on the surface to hit the button?


This exact device in particular, my air conditioner remote, really bugs me: http://i.imgur.com/w7yFI8F.jpg


I imagine there are some advantages to this design. Cost to produce, less chance of buttons getting crud in them and not working, etc.


But god damn, the usability suffers so much. An air conditioner remote is the kind of thing that you want to be able to reach over and grab in the middle of the night to adjust or turn it on/off. The labels don't even glow in the dark! The surface is completely flat and I've had to develop muscle memory just to use the device when I can't see the labeling. I can reliably hit the temperature up/down arrows and the power without looking. But it takes some time to make sure I'm holding it in the right position.


A simple improvement (that I could probably do myself) would be at least to put some bumps on the surface so you can tell the buttons apart. Isn't this like, legally required or something? Aren't there laws for the benefit of the visually impaired that regulate these awful designs? Ugh.


Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to mention. If you think the controls on the actual unit itself are any better, nope. Same totally flat membrane style panel. You have to get right up to the damn thing to even read the terribly-contrasted text in anything but very good lighting conditions.

Comments

  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    Creature - Florida Dragon Turtle Human

    This is why I don't like a touchscreen cell phone, incidentally.  I think I've ranted about that enough times elsewhere, though.


    Isn't this like, legally required or something? Aren't there laws for the benefit of the visually impaired that regulate these awful designs? Ugh.


    I don't know where you are, but I do know that the United States has lately been rather politically anti-regulatory.

  • Naas_HumanNaas_Human

    I thought this was some sort of biology thing.


    But yeah, it does sound bad. Would you rather get like, a universal AC remote?

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