Samsung, the Korean electronics giant, has an internal design group in Korea, but needed the perspective of consultants who could understand the flavor of the U.S. market. There was a development group located in San Jose working on an interactive TV project. Summit ID was retained because of their expertise in intimate hand ergonomics.

DESIGN BRIEF

Develop a device to control the on-screen interface for an interactive television, where users could shop, program their VCRs, rent videos online, etc.

INFORMATION GATHERING

With remote controls used from a sitting position, from an average distance of 10 feet, users are in a posture very different from the typical mouse PC interface. The device controls the interface by the angle of the wrist, so wrist extension is the critical ergonomic factor in the design. The device also had to compensate for the typical user's predictable bad posture.

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

A series of designs bent in the middle were explored. This followed the natural relaxed position of the hand and enabled the device to be pointed into the television in a neutral position, with the thumb on top.

CHOOSING BEST SOLUTION

A prototype with a single button was chosen, as this was all that was needed to control the television.

TESTING & EVALUATING

Mall intercepts and one-way mirror interviews were used to evaluate prototypes. People seemed wary of a device with only one control button, so typical remote buttons, in four groups of four, were added, but in an awkward location, to encourage the use of the single button.