HMI Design Masterclass

Design is more than meets the eye. The first step on the way to better HMI design is to take a step back and get a new perspective – one that sees design as a fusion of form and function. We want to show why HMI design is craft more than art and why the user has to be in focus. And while Rome wasn’t built in a day, we are certain that putting the right methods and processes to practice will help you build a better HMI design with less hassle.

This video focuses on the user – user personas, to be precise. The next step on the way to better HMI design takes a closer look at users and their use cases and HMI context. Taking a structured approach will boost your HMI design knowledge base and give you a space for storing and effectively retrieving ideas in the design process.

Now it’s time to get your hands on your design – pen-and-paper style. Sketch first drafts and plan your HMI like you would plan a house: First, you need dimensions for the building and the rooms, then you start constructing, and then you do the interiors. It’s just the same with your HMI. You will learn to work with iterations and alternatives and how to validate your design.

This unit wants to guide you through designing your prototype. Learn what level of detail is the right one and which tools you can use, how to distribute, place and visualize contents to optimally assist users in their specific use cases – and why the good old buttons and switches should not be left out of the design process.

Structure is all well and good, but efficient and accurate interaction between users and machine is what turns an ordinary HMI into an outstanding one. This unit presents the principal options for designing interaction as well as strategies for message handling and preventing faulty entries by users – both are typical HMI design issues. Plus, we show you how to give users context-sensitive support without the usual lengthy manuals.

Testing your prototype is the most important quality gate for your HMI design. This unit will show you how to test and discuss those use cases that are most relevant to your users – with users. And how to do this efficiently and effectively in a well-defined process that will deliver an authoritative user feedback that will have a positive impact on your HMI design, all with relatively little effort.

You're almost there: You completed your prototype, you have compiled user feedback, now it’s time to give your HMI those finishing touches. Learn what details you should pay special attention to and how to use color, effects and icons so that they help and not impede user interaction. And finally, we want to give you some inspiration for a good rollout of your new design and talk about archiving the valuable insights and assets you have created during the design process.