Challenge
New input mechanisms are more dynamic than ever before, and offer ways for people to establish a direct connection with their devices. Yet in a rush to stay competitive, the products hit the market without undergoing proper research, exploration and prototyping — and, as a result, fail to see how these new inputs are much more than just features.
Solution
Punchcut takes a measured and strategic approach to integrating touch, gesture and voice inputs, helping companies to do the little things it takes to design them into the holistic context of the device. We partner with companies to create a richness and depth of engagement that was not possible with key controls and previous forms of input. We explore how to use touch and gesture as languages that create a more personal relationship between people and their devices, because, ultimately, we see these inputs as part of a larger movement to bring more natural control mechanisms and humanized interactions to device experiences.
With our experience designing touch- and gesture-based interfaces, we are often asked to share best practices that we’ve learned along the way. Here are a few we often find ourselves coming back to; for more, watch our video on Designing for Touch UI:
_ Design for immediate access: In a world where keys are disappearing and people are talking to their devices, interfaces must be as streamlined as the input mechanisms that feed them. Without trackballs and menu scrolling, what’s important has to jump out and beg to be touched.
_ Leverage clear mental models: When digital systems are subject to the same common rules of physical objects, users can create for themselves a connection with an interface that feels real, tangible and believable.
_ Physical controls are not dead: Physical buttons are visible, tactile, stationary, and, most importantly, they can be readily accessed when other input methods are inaccessible or inappropriate.
