The Evolution of Graphic Tablet
Graphic tablet is an important tool for artist. It captures human’s drawing accurately, and transfers it to digital file to improve the creator’s work efficiency. From the first hand-write device to Wacom Cintiq and iPad Pro, as time goes, graphic tablet is always become more human-centre. It delivers a great drawing experience by the improvement of technology and its hardware consistency.
Main history of graphic tablet improvement
1888 - Telaoutograph, the first hand-writing device, for sending hand write recognition through long distance.
1957 - Stylator, the first tablet that input directly into a computer instead of a receive device, for hand write recognition as well.
1963 - The Rand, it has been considered the first digital drawing device.
1979 - Apple Graphics Tablet, at the same year, Utopia Graphic System was released, which is the first colour graphic system.
1998 - Wacom Intuos.
2005 - Wacom Cintiq. Wacom has set a new standard in the industry until nowadays.
2015 - iPad Pro.
The changes in the UX of graphic tablet
Hands may be one of the most complicated parts in human’s body, so it require a lot of work to capture its every movement and reproduce it accurately. How to deliver every detail and life in the drawing, how to support artist’s flow when creating are two of the most important factors in the digital drawing experience. To reach those goals, there are three technologies: pressure sensitivity, software pen brush, and refresh rate.
Stylus’ pressure sensitivity and software pen brush are trying to imitate artist’s real pen. Through pressure sensitivity the computer will know how hard or soft the artist has given to the pad with the stylus. That really help for capturing the emotion that the artist is trying to convey. For now, Wacom Pro Pen 2 comes with 8192 pressure sensitivity which is pretty enough to draw anything. And there are a lot of software having pen brushes that successfully imitate the characteristic of artist’s every tool, including the detail when artist tilts the stylus.
Refresh rate is another crucial factor in the digital drawing experience. By a higher refresh rate, artists can get the feedback immediately as their stylus moving on the tablet, so they can let their idea flowing without unnecessary extra worry.
What stay the same in UX?
It is interesting that as the technology in graphic tablet is only being better in every step of its development, it seems that the hardware of it almost has never change. It may become thiner, wireless, but there is always a pen and a pad. The reason is very simple: the goal of graphic tablet is very clear. Unlike the product like mobile phone which combining with as many features as possible seems could reach a better sale goal, the developers of graphic tablet do not have too much distraction. They know that making digital drawing experience closer to human nature is their only goal. And for now drawing on a flat board with a hand holding a stick are still the best way for human. To keep the best user experience in digital drawing, as long as the materials in drawing are still the same, the devices of digital drawing will stay its consistency.
It does not mean that the product that bears multi-features will always realized what the right ways are after their selling result. It is important for developers and designers to have a mindset of “People Come First”. People Come First is the first step, guide line, and the final goal of every product’s development. It avoids the distraction from fancy but useless technology and focus on what people needs are, so developers and designers can support people’s life through their products.
Resources
https://reedart.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/digital-drawing-painting/