Design I’d Improve: The Remote Control

I think the remote I got with my DIRECTV and DVR unit could be better designed. I’ve been using this remote for several years now, and have learned how to use it mostly by trial and error. There are still functions that are extraneous and annoying. Here’s an assessment of what is not user-friendly about this remote:

1. The two most used buttons — “on” and “off” — are difficult to find. Plus, there’s also a “PWR” button, which I can reasonably assume means “Power.” So, what button do I press to turn the TV on?
2. It’s friendlier in appearance than most other cable remotes I’ve seen, but it’s still noisy and intimidating.
3. Too many buttons. Do I need all these buttons? “Back,” “Active,” “Prev,” etc.
4. Too many arrows are pointing in every direction — up, down, left, right. It disorients and makes me anxious.
5. I have to slide the remote through my hand to reach certain controls. Sometimes I need to use both hands.

How I’d improve the remote control:

1. Make the “on” button function as a both “on” and “off” switch and place it closer to where the thumb more naturally rests on the remote.
2. Strip unnecessary color away that distracts from buttons that are the most essential.
3. Consolidate the “Play” and “Pause” buttons. Do you need a “Stop” button? Wouldn’t “Pause” do the job?
4. Switching to different inputs, such as video games consoles, DVD players, Apple TV and more, is a more essential function than this remote thinks it is.
5. Elevate the visibility of button that takes me to my list of DVR’d shows.
6. Consolidate least used functions to a menu, strip away those buttons from the remote control.
7. Switching to a touch interface would likely improve the overall experience, reducing the number of buttons, and affording more microinteractions on the TV screen.