UI/UX design for embedded domains

Achieving user friendly design with limited resources

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Usability on every device

When it comes to user interface/user experience (UI/UX) development, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a beautifully designed website or a slick, responsive mobile phone app - after all, that's what a lot of people interact with on a daily basis. But embedded domain and specialized devices like wearables, IoT, or industrial systems often have limited graphical capabilities. Each of these devices has its own requirements. These must be taken into account when designing an efficient and user-friendly UI/UX.

Interwined of requirements

You need to consider the requirements from a hardware, software and end-user perspective when developing a user interface for an embedded device. Within these aspects, there are many details to consider in order to create a user-friendly UI/UX. Due to their interdependencies, they need to be considered together. This is especially true for the technical part of the process: The combination of platform and display.

Consider the platform

Start the process by identifying the platforms for which the domain will be created. The hardware capabilities and power consumption requirements determine the options for graphics libraries and displays. Compatible software components must be selected with hardware limitations in mind. Collaboration between developers and designers is essential. When selecting software libraries, consider cost, support and licensing requirements.

Adapt to the display

The second important aspect of UI design is the type of display being used. Designing for small, low-resolution, monochrome displays has a number of limitations that need to be taken into account when designing the UI. There are several ways to deal with these limitations. Our experts have some tips to keep in mind: Use shapes and contrast rather than colour gradients. Avoid complex graphics and details to avoid pixelation. Organise UI elements for easy navigation with buttons or knobs if a touchscreen is not available.

User needs and environments

In addition to the technical component, i.e. the combination of platform and display, the environment in which the device will be used must also be taken into account when creating the UI design. If the device is to be used in an industrial or medical environment, or anywhere else where the end-user may need to wear gloves while interacting with the device, a resistive touch screen must be used instead of the more common capacitive touch screen. Another option would be to avoid a touchscreen altogether and use knobs and buttons for interaction.

Step-by-step: design user-friendly UI/UX

It is clear that designing and developing a good UI for an embedded device can be very complex under the hood. Many things need to be considered from the earliest steps of hardware selection, concept creation, through to implementation. Here is a brief summary of the three key aspects of this process:

Platform selection

The embedded hardware platform is the foundation of the UI/UX design. Carefully evaluate technical capabilities such as processing power, memory, battery capacity to determine design options.

Select the display

Select the optimal display type considering resolution, colour depth, touch vs. buttons. Choose the right display by balancing visual quality, responsiveness, environmental suitability and cost. Key factors are resolution, colour depth, touch vs physical controls.

Focus on usability

With displays and interactions defined, design the visual and functional UI components with efficiency and ease of use in mind. Always consider user needs and use cases within the technical constraints.

Support for UI/UX solutions

The needs of the end user must be considered at every stage, as this is what will ultimately make the product successful in the marketplace. It is important to focus on this, especially in the context of IoT projects. The experts at Concept Reply have extensive experience in implementing comprehensive end-to-end solutions in this field. We are convinced that our user-centred approach offers you the best support to successfully implement your project under any conditions.
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    Concept Reply

    Concept Reply is an IoT software developer specializing in the research, development and validation of innovative solutions and supports its customers in the automotive, manufacturing, smart infrastructure and other industries in all matters relating to the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing. The goal is to offer end-to-end solutions along the entire value chain: from the definition of an IoT strategy, through testing and quality assurance, to the implementation of a concrete solution.