The worst user interface
One of the worst system interfaces that I have come across was iRiver’s iFP-390 model of MP3 player. The interface was designed with the avid exercise enthusiast in mind. It was lightweight and small as to not encumber while exercising. It utilized three buttons and an analog stick for all functions such as navigation, playing, and recording. It included a built in radio function and a voice recording function. The menu navigation and MP3 playing worked well for exercising but had little consideration for other user interaction. The limited button style required multiple input techniques for each button, which in turn required study and practice to grow acustomed to. Most pick up-and-use customers would have grown frustrated by the command interface. The analog stick to navigate the menu, adjust volume, and skip tracks supported 360 degree movement plus depression as input. This created a problem when there were only four directions utilized, and more often than not, the user when initiating the depression function would accidentally push the stick in a direction not intended. A similar problem arose when traversing the menu interface. Most of the uses intended to be simplified for athletic functions were clumsily utilized, considering that when most are engaged in physical activity, they are usually not interacting with the device. Taking the active user in mind, one must also question the implementation of the voice recorder, as it did not seem to have a logical correlation to the other expected uses it provided. With just a few changes in basic design, one could have better facilitate the user in multiple functions and in multiple settings.
It is understood that the company wanted to not only appeal to the physically active user with it’s certain additions and schema, but it goes to waste as even that focus group seemed to under utilize functionality during their activities. To better improve the design, additional buttons should have been implemented to better explain functions and commands. The analog stick was a good idea, but with only certain directions utilized, the 360 control direction caused more problems than warranted. A similar approach that provided only four definitive directions plus the push-down feature would have been much more appropriate for menu navigation and would have helped reduce accidental commands not intended for users that were engaged in physically intensive activity. With the addition of the extra buttons and the limitation of the analog stick, new users would have become more familiar with the system quicker, and it would have better facilitated “pick-up” users and repeat users more readily. I believe that this iRiver product made it to production this way because at the time, superfluous features helped sell products by enhancing functionality even if there was no apparent benefit.