Volume dials > Volume buttons

While I’ve used a touch-screen interface for interacting with most forms of technology on a day-to-day basis, there are certain physical controls I cannot live without. Buttons and joysticks on game controllers, dials and buttons for multimedia interfaces in cars, and above all, physical controls for audio output.

I remember the age of the discman (the walkman was before my time), and how wonderful the tactile feel of adjusting the volume dial was. This is where we should’ve stopped! The pinnacle of audio volume control. This is not a critique of the volume buttons, or digital volume slider controls, based on a fond memory of the past, but more so one based on critical usability issues. At the risk of making this sound like too much of a personal issue, I asked around to make sure I wasn’t just crazy, and while most people didn’t think of this as a particularly pressing issue (I suspect because they don’t mind spending another fraction of a second addressing their volume needs), most preferred the recommendation of a dial to control volume.

I don’t believe volume buttons with pre-programmed volume loudness, or softness increments are as intuitive as a volume dial. This may be attributed to the impermanence of the volume indication as the buttons are pushed. This may also be a software/hardware issue, where for some reason as people we’ve grown to accept a lack of a permanent information display when addressing audio output, and this can be dangerous to our ability to hear, but as a more personal issue, affect our abilities to best listen to our audio.

With the current iteration of volume buttons across both Mac and Windows based operating systems on desktop personal computer interfaces, the audio increments are displayed on screen for roughly a second and a half, and are then gone from sight. While this at first seems like a good way to get rid of seemingly unnecessary information, having a permanent indication of a volume level could lead to a more productive workflow, and use of time. Often I find myself trying to turn the volume up, not realizing its already at the maximum volume. Having an indication via a dial, or (even better) a percentage volume display somewhere on screen could save me the time spent trying to address a problem that can’t be solved. (Maximum audio already being reached.) In the real world, I can empathize with peoples’ response to this in considering that this may not really be a problem at all. But as a designer, I cannot help but try and address the smallest of problems. Finding ways to cut out time wasted not working is the best way to optimize one’s workflow, and be more productive.

I feel like in my considering the software/visual representation of the audio increments on screen, I discounted the importance of the volume dial, the interface I started out this critique discussing. A volume dial is not only an arguably better way to interact with audio amplification because of its tactile nature, It also provides a physical experience which translates to a more permanent memory of the volume level being imprinted on the mind. The extent of the dial being turned strikes me as a more permanent recollection of the audio intensity. In an ideal world I would pair this with an audio percentage displayed somewhere on screen as well. Potentially near other secondarily vital information, such as a wifi, bluetooth, or battery indicator.