Kiosk Software Strategies: Interface Components

"In Your Face"
Tips and Hints for Successful Kiosk Implementation

by Dave Heyliger

Designing Successful Interface Components

Introduction

I remember when I designed my first kiosk application. It was a mess! When I executed my roll out, I was instantly enrolled in the first grade at the School of Hard Knocks. There were some obvious flaws in the interface design. I was unaware of these flaws since I "lived" with the application months before roll out. I knew it like the back of my hand. It was very obvious how to interact with my kiosk application… at least it was for me.

This month's topic will examine successful interface components, or more specifically, how to design your buttons and "touchables" in a manner that is conducive to success for the first time visitor - your most important kiosk customer.

What Makes an Interface Component a Success?

To make your interface components a success requires you to follow a few general guidelines. A successful interface component:

does not assume anything about your visitor

does not use just graphics and/or just icons

looks like you can touch it

provides feedback to the touch

does not rely on roll over descriptors

Let's take a closer look at each guideline.

Do Not Assume Anything about Your Visitor

Everybody knows the string of words that assume creates with respect to you and me (u and me). This is especially true when referring to kiosk interface. Why? First time visitors have never seen your interface. They have to perform an initial navigational procedure, and hopefully without instructions or complex maneuvers.

It is inherently difficult to remove yourself from your interface design and look at your interface with fresh eyes, since you've been designing your application for quite some time. You know how it works. You know where to go. And you know how to get there - wherever "there" is.

To avoid the mistake of developing the "Of course you just press this button here, then that button over there to {fill-in-the-blank}" attitude, continually have fresh eyes experience your interface design. These eyes should range in age, from the young child to the gray panther. Within moments you'll begin to see your bottlenecks and assumptions literally leap out. It's an invaluable experiment.

Do Not Use Just Graphics and/or Just Icons

Granted, many computer software applications love to use cool little buttons and/or icons to perform some specified function. Right now for example, I'm looking at my Microsoft Word icons - they look so cool! However, I'm still learning about what many of them do (thank goodness for rollovers… whoops - see the final tip!).

Taking this notion to the kiosk interface equates to watch out. More specifically, it is highly recommended that you don't use a graphics-only interface since not everyone will know exactly what every graphic and/or icon will do.

Although some of you might be thinking, "Well, everyone knows that if you press the little printer icon, the computer prints something", it's not true. Believe it or not, there are a lot of potentially viable kiosk visitors that do not know this, as hard as it is for you to imagine.

You may still use "cute" graphics that when touched or clicked, do something. But if you choose to do so, be sure to include a text-based descriptor on or next to the graphic as well. It will speed up the initial interface learning process and also eliminate the need for guessing.
Make It Look Like You Can Touch It

A successfully designed interface component screams to be touched, and usually through the use of 3D graphics. I don't mean the ultra high-end 3D graphic rendering, but rather the simple 3D graphic that appears to be "above" or "off" the screen slightly.

Creating this type of graphic is rather easy to do using Photoshop or any other industry standard graphics editing tool. It only takes about a minute to create button or object that casts a tiny shadow on the "lower" graphic components, yet the end result is ultra-effective.
Provide Feedback to the Touch

Make the user completely aware that when they indeed do touch your objects, they respond. Your options here include "depressing" the 3D graphical button and optionally playing an audible sound. You can also optionally create a highlight effect for the button when depressed.

In addition, design your objects to respond to mouse-down events. Unlike most applications - where only a mouse-click event triggers an action, touch screen applications should respond as soon as the finger hits the object. Designing for mouse-click events will have your visitors frustrated: they will press & hold the object and wait for something to happen. Only when they release the object does it do its thing. Hence the confusion. For what it's worth, some touch screen drivers allow you to translate a mouse-down into a mouse-click event.
The Drawback to Rollover Graphics

This last tip is directed towards kiosk applications regardless of whether or not the application was designed for touch screen. Although during design time rollover descriptors (the text that can auto-appear over a graphic when the mouse hovers over the object for a certain amount of time) are excellent, in reality they are not effective at all in kiosk application.

If the kiosk application is a touch screen application - they are never seen. If the application is a track ball or mouse application, forcing a first time user to rely on rollover descriptors should be an immediate indication that your interface isn't naturally intuitive! Whoops.

And don't forget that more and more web sites now include rollover graphics. These are great for your web site visitors, but they are not what I would consider "successful" for a kiosk application.

Conclusion

Although the above tips and hints aren't the only possible solution, they hopefully address certain pitfalls of interface design components and point you in the right direction towards a successful kiosk implementation. When in doubt, test your interface over a series of age groups and experiences to continually enhance your interactive experience.

About the Author

Dave Heyliger (heyliger@rockmedia.com) is founder and president of Rocky Mountain Multimedia, Inc. (http://www.rockmedia.com), and has been creating kiosk software and interface solutions for hundreds of clients since 1993. Feel free to check out this and any previous article contained within this series by visiting the online section at http://www.rockmedia.com/kioskmagazine.html.