Electronics manufacturers still don’t seem understand how to design easy-to-use controls for their devices. This is particularly true for the thousands of TV/cable box combinations that exist in our homes. While we wait patiently for some specialty company to meet this need, check out this arts-and-crafts modification I found online:
What I don’t understand is why companies don’t simplify their remotes and move to a screen-based menu system. The iPod gets away with only a few buttons and a very basic hierarchy of choices. Seems like a good business niche to me. Of course, you-know-who has already entered the arena with their Apple TV:
This is pretty basic design — almost like it is a working prototype of the cardboard cutout version above. I like this approach because shifts burden of design away from the physical object to the software under the hood. Anybody else?
For a great history of the TV remote, check out this Slate article: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/design/2012/06/the_history_of_the_remote_control_why_are_they_so_awful_.single.html