Process of Prototyping a Shower Control Interface
Design
The OXO brand strives to ensure that their products are easy to understand and use. I decided to incorporate their design practices into the creation of a shower control interface that displays and controls water temperature, water flow volume, and whether water comes out of the tub spout, the shower head, or a handheld wand. I started by sketching different ideas of how I could allow users to interact with all necessary features and focused on the simplicity of the controls.
Through several rounds of iteration, I converged on two possible designs for my prototype. One was rectangular and offered separate UI for all features while the other was a circular dial that streamlined the controls for adjusting temperature and water volume. Ultimately, I decided to go with the circular design because it better aligned with the simple design elements found in OXO’s products.
Prototype
I started prototyping my product using cardboard, paper, and tape. One change I made right away was decreasing the size of the dial to be 3.25 x 3.25 inches. In my final 4 x 4 inch sketch, I realized that my interface might be too large to be easily grasped by someone with smaller hands. Decreasing the size of the dial would not only better accommodate individuals with smaller hands, but also still serve those with larger hands.
My first prototype modeled what the interface would look like but lacked the ability to turn like a real dial.
During my next prototype iteration, I made the outer ring able to be turned independently of the front-facing surface so that this feature could be used in user testing. I also replaced the temperature and water volume buttons with a singular button that can be used to switch between the two modes. With the addition of that button, I also adjusted the placement of the three circular buttons so that I wouldn’t need to decrease their size. Not decreasing the size of the buttons would prevent someone with larger fingers from accidentally hitting multiple buttons.
By making these changes, I was able to make my product more accessible, intuitive, and simple, which fits with OXO’s brand.
Analysis
After completing my second prototype, I conducted user testing and critique. From this session, I was able to discover what was working well and what could be improved in my prototype.
One thing my peer appreciated about my design was the attention to detail and how the simplicity of features was well thought out. Some interesting feedback I received was that using icons for the three valve control buttons might be confusing. Alternatively, I could replace the icons with the names of the valves to make it clearer what each button is controlling. Another piece of feedback I got was that the valve buttons could be made even bigger for accessibility.
Overall, it seemed that the design of the dial and mode button was pretty effective from the testing. Since I want to emphasize clarity and accessibility in this product, I would definitely make the suggested changes in my next iteration.