lesson 08 - interfaces on entertainment & domestic systems
Explore the unique design of user interfaces on the devices you use every day, from the '10-foot UI' of your Smart TV to the task-focused controls of your microwave.
Beyond the PC: Interfaces for the Living Room and Kitchen
(Image: A panoramic shot of a modern home interior, seamlessly blending the living room with the kitchen, showing various devices like a smart TV, games console, smart fridge, and thermostat.)
When you think of a 'user interface', you probably picture the Windows or macOS desktop on a computer, or the app-filled screen of your smartphone. But you interact with dozens of different interfaces every day, and many of the most interesting ones are in your living room and your kitchen. These devices have very different jobs to a computer, so their interfaces are designed in completely different ways.
Entertainment Systems: The "10-Foot UI"
Have you ever tried to use a normal website on a TV from the other side of the room? The text is tiny, and trying to click small links with a TV remote is a nightmare. This is why entertainment devices like Smart TVs, games consoles (PlayStation, Xbox), and media streamers (Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick) use a special type of interface called a "10-foot UI".
The name says it all: it's designed to be perfectly usable from 10 feet away.
Big and Bold: Text is large, icons are huge, and there is lots of space between elements. The focus is on readability from a distance.
Controller is King: Navigation isn't designed for a precise mouse pointer. It's built for the simple directional pad (D-pad) on a TV remote or game controller: up, down, left, right, select, and back. This limitation forces the layout to be a clean, grid-like structure.
Content First: The main goal of these interfaces is to get you to content—a movie, a TV show, a game—as quickly as possible. The home screen is usually a visually rich billboard for a variety of media apps.
(Video: Embed a review video of a modern Smart TV operating system, like Google TV, where the reviewer navigates the home screen and launches apps. This will visually demonstrate the "10-foot UI" concept.)
Domestic Systems: The Beauty of Simple Tasks
Now, walk into your kitchen and look at your microwave or washing machine. Their interfaces couldn't be more different from a Smart TV. They aren't for Browse; they are for doing. This is task-oriented design.
One Job, Done Well: The goal of a domestic appliance UI is to start a specific task with minimal fuss. You don't need a thousand options; you need to set a time or choose a wash cycle.
Hardware and Haptics: These interfaces often use a combination of physical buttons, dials, and simple LED or LCD screens. Why? Because physical controls are robust, easy to clean, and provide satisfying 'haptic' feedback—you can feel the click of a dial or the press of a button.
Clear Feedback: Clear, unambiguous feedback is critical. A loud beep when the microwave has finished, a flashing light on the dishwasher to show it's running, or a simple time countdown are essential parts of the user experience.
(Animation: A simple animated GIF showing a person turning a dial on a washing machine. As the dial clicks to each setting ('Cottons', 'Wools'), a small indicator light moves with it.)
The 'Smart' Revolution
The latest trend is the blending of these two worlds. A 'smart' washing machine might still have a simple dial, but it also has a touchscreen and an app on your phone that lets you download new wash cycles or tells you when your laundry is done. This combines the simplicity of a domestic UI with the rich features of a graphical UI, offering the best of both worlds.
For our Majestic Cinema project, we can learn from both: the clarity of a 10-foot UI for our screen layouts, and the simple, task-focused design of a domestic appliance for our ticket booking process.
Last modified: July 8th, 2025
