design: touch panels

content/design.tree

@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ this branch is about that.
             % id = "01HQ8KV8RWS99XKPBKCTZ3NEJM"
             - that ain't default behavior. :hat_smug:
 
+% content.link = "design/touch-panels"
+  id = "01JE75K3MPAHR40TZR1Q92YYN7"
++ :page: touch panels
+
 % content.link = "design/sidebars"
   id = "01HR9ZTS6T2ZBWGMJP8376NGX1"
 + :page: sidebars
@@ -27,3 +31,4 @@ this branch is about that.
 % content.link = "design/digital-textures"
   id = "01HQ8JHZ5QTZXQW3M26CXPFQDF"
 + :page: on digital textures
+

content/design/touch-panels.tree

@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+%% title = "touch panels"
+
+% id = "01JE246DXAKY4V4S49576JG0P9"
+- 2024\. it seems like you can't go on without devices that have capacitive touch panels.
+
+    % id = "01JE246DXAJJ4N592H9K2FG0FQ"
+    - _obviously_ my smartphone has one.
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXAC6GYHV1GVW9G30X6"
+        - but also my oven has one,
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXADZKF1TMTWX2JA667"
+        - my induction stove has one,
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXAVY22EBMMBJKGA32C"
+        - the dishwasher at my parents' house has one, and _their_ oven as well,
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXACY732S6465M6ZBYR"
+        - my headphones have one too!
+
+% id = "01JE246DXAW2YPBFB4083RW06E"
+- but is that good?
+
+    % id = "01JE246DXAE6EFPASVXYZRRPNG"
+    - touch panels definitely look very elegant on pictures---no ugly buttons protruding out of your appliance, how slick is that!
+
+    % id = "01JE246DXANGVXZ4XFCV1N67ZC"
+    - but I find that touch panels are UX _hell_ on every single appliance I use them.
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXAX25V3F2030WDSXAX"
+        - not my smartphone, because it also has a _display_.
+        paired with a display, and set of responsive gestures, a touch panel can be quite good!
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXAG7EHW4V0QWFKEE1G"
+        - so let's look at some of those touch panels that give me nightmares.
+
+% id = "01JE246DXAPSKNZQ0FYSB7CD6D"
+- ### The Oven
+
+    % id = "01JE246DXAFYX4TT9DVE1BK5QC"
+    - my oven has a touch panel for operating the timer.
+    a very useful thing to have in a kitchen!
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXAGDGH6ASA4RZ6F7SJ"
+        + I use the oven timer _all the time_ while cooking, because pulling out my smartphone every single time I want to count down time is kind of a pain in the butt.
+
+            % id = "01JE246DXAV99HZBXSZRDTT887"
+            - I also have my smartphone timer set to vibration only.
+            wouldn't want to annoy people with my loud WAH, WAH, WAH alarm sound every time my tea's finished brewing.
+
+    % id = "01JE246DXA0461801FNEGXTE3R"
+    - the UI makes me go insane though.
+    say you want to set a timer for one minute---how do you approach this?
+
+    ![close-up of the oven in my kitchen. from the left: there's a function knob, the timer panel, and a temperature knob. the timer panel is a touch panel with five buttons, labelled with icons representing heat, a clock, a key, a minus, and a plus. the hour is 21:15.][pic:01JE731MZBPQFATV2XWQ8WDSK9]{title="please excuse how dirty my oven is. I don't compulsively clean my kitchen appliances"}
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXATB6YY2N46MMMCVVK"
+        - a sane person would push the `+` button and hold it down until the timer says `1:00`.
+        congratulations, your timer is set!
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXA2J69S44PRKB8CF4Z"
+        - but since I'm typing this, you know this is most definitely not how Bosch decided to do things in this oven.
+
+        % id = "01JE246DXAETP3Z6G2K31QD1XG"
+        - instead of something obvious, here's what happens:
+        
+            % id = "01JE246DXAZ1DC9PCCX2ESRCVZ"
+            - _when the time left is `0:00` (or when the timer's unset)_, pushing `+` sets the timer to `10:00`, _but_ you can also push `-` to set the timer to `5:00`.
+
+                % id = "01JE246DXAX6G0APW3DMEYGY7D"
+                + maybe saves you a bit of time for oven things... but not very useful as a general kitchen timer! what if you're brewing tea (1--3 minutes)? boiling eggs (apparently 6 minutes)?
+
+                    % id = "01JE246DXAM2EV3SMRKB9TN3PS"
+                    - I don't really eat boiled eggs, so I don't know how long to boil them.
+                    6 minutes is the first thing that came up online ---w---
+
+            % id = "01JE246DXAJ31K3XZ623SPNP15"
+            - _when the timer is anything but `0:00`_, pushing the button adds one _second_, holding it for a couple seconds starts increasing the time in an accelerating manner, starting with 10 second increments, then 20 seconds.
+            I never push for long enough to notice it going any faster, so let's pretend these are the only two increments that matter.
+
+                % id = "01JE246DXADX2TBXNK7488NDZ8"
+                - okay so when is the last time you needed single-second precision on a kitchen timer.
+
+                    % id = "01JE246DXA13DS8VSC73B64RYN"
+                    + at best I need 30 seconds, but that is still very sporadic...
+                    
+                        % id = "01JE246DXAQKRC5Q0SD0HTSTAP"
+                        - [sencha][] leaves can be infused up to about three times before the taste starts to diminish.
+                        my first brew is 1 minute, the second is 1 minute 30 seconds, and the third is 2 minutes.
+
+                        this is the only time I ever need half-minute precision in cooking.
+                        I bet replacing the 1min 30s step with 2min would be just fine.
+
+                        [sencha]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sencha
+
+                    % id = "01JE246DXA1P83GTYCSF39CZG5"
+                    - _even when you wished_ for single-second precision, it is still effectively useless, because it's hard to predict the delay until the timer starts counting after your input!
+
+                    % id = "01JE246DXA5FVV46M9YJY5MQSM"
+                    + this makes it impossible to get the desired time by tapping the `+` button multiple times, because I'm not gonna tap it _180 separate times_ to get _two minutes_!
+
+                        % id = "01JE246DXA4D8M4GTDWPTQHKMK"
+                        - (yes, 180---remember we have to count down [from 5 minutes][branch:01JE246DXAZ1DC9PCCX2ESRCVZ]...)
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDAVFSKJ8ZZ3ZJCGHTR"
+            - even if the increments weren't so annoying, tapping a touch panel is much more annoying than pushing a button.
+            not to mention the accessibility problems---think about blind people, who literally cannot _see or feel_ any of the buttons on the panel!
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDA0Q9617GNFXVGYAQX"
+    - in the case of an oven timer, I think the right way to go about adjusting it would be a rotary encoder---turn the knob to set the time, push it to start the countdown or cancel the alarm.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDASZQD5HK8S9AVDXWQ"
+        - yes, it protrudes out the front, but you don't have to make it protrude much! 1cm would be enough and still look aesthetically pleasing.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDA365KHC6B08Q2J4QK"
+        - this is really funny because this Bosch oven _does_ have two knobs that protrude out the front---one for function, the other one for temperature.
+        imagine if it had one knob for function and temperature, and the other one for controlling the timer.
+        how nice would that be!
+
+% id = "01JE246DXAQMTVV0EXTF240VVZ"
+- ### The Induction Stove
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDA0MD77EJEYJ133HKN"
+    - upon first sight, nothing out of the ordinary---it even has very good and _fairly obvious_ UX!
+
+    ![close-up of an induction stove's touch panel. there's a power button, buttons for controlling each of the four burners' power levels, a lock button, and a "stop + go" button.][pic:01JE731N7MER1CMBPGJXN99C9P]{title="I should definitely wipe all the grease off of it though..."}
+
+        % id = "01JE74T4AJFCWNPJK660C977PV"
+        - the `-` and `+` buttons adjust the power levels of each burner.
+        the first level is `◡`, then `1` through `9`, and then `P`.
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDAPV6EV6YF9W034ZFY"
+            - I don't know what `◡` or `P` are supposed to mean, but from what I've tried the `◡` is probably very low power simmering mode, and `P` probably stands for [_pożar_](https://www.diki.pl/slownik-angielskiego?q=po%C5%BCar&locale=en_GB), because it has one hell of a power kick to it.
+            boils water almost as fast as an electric kettle!
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDA41PCC2FYE0AE6RDM"
+        - unlike the stupid ass oven timer, the power levels increase in a linear fashion, which makes them nice and predictable.
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDA64DW71JSZ6F1WY57"
+            - real buttons would have made the process a little less _slow_ though.
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDAMPET9ZR976S3N8XG"
+    - the annoying part is that the touch panel is _capacitive_.
+    meaning that drops of water---or heck, _any_ wet things---tend to activate the panel, which causes it to turn off, especially when you _really_ don't want it to!
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDACQACZHDYWR91KQCH"
+        - I've had _numerous_ cases where my veggies stopped frying because the I placed a wet chopping board on the panel.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDAXVM6ZAYA6Z28AJAC"
+        - in theory there's a _lock_ mode, which prevents making any adjustments---but it's really annoying to get into and get out of.
+        pushing the button down, and _then_ having to push down the `-` button to turn down the power can take long enough to make a difference between well done and [congratulation][pic:01JE281R9XT4VTR0DRENXSBPYS].
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDAWT5RBPVCHWTR30CA"
+    - now this one I totally get why it _should_ be a touch panel---which doesn't make it any less annoying, but yeah.
+        
+        % id = "01JE27CBDA8X2FW6CG59WNJXQM"
+        - UX-wise it's much better to be able to place your cutting board on any part of the surface, _provided it's dry of course_, than having to avoid any buttons annoyingly protruding out its top.
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDAWK6A4H9795NJP7YE"
+            - granted this could be solved with a separate device you could install elsewhere---like I dunno, to the right of the stove, but that is more expensive and takes up kitchen counter real estate---which is at a premium in small kitchens, like the one in my apartment.
+
+% id = "01JE246DXA4CRQTCZFC8JDNY0C"
+- ### The Dishwasher
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDAJ2MMR22A5BBRP53E"
+    - I don't currently have pictures of this one so you'll have to take my word for it.
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDAJNPEKG39Z1KN9C1F"
+    - a while ago my parents replaced their dishwasher, as the old one had broken down, and the new one has a touch panel.
+    not sure if it's capacitive or resistive---probably the latter because, like, _water_---but it's a very good touch panel either way.
+    quite intuitive to use, and even makes use of sliding gestures, rather than being just a stupid "modern" way of implementing push buttons!
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDASYXTDWW97P4795KA"
+    - the problem with it is... my grandma.
+    she is quite senile, and she absolutely _does not_ understand how the heck touch panels are supposed to work---not surprising considering _there's nothing tactile to press_, and her sight is degraded quite badly to be able to read all the icons and text.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDA07Q6WCFS9QRSCCY9"
+        + same thing with the oven there, by the way.
+        though I'm not gonna complain about its panel, because I find the interface a lot more usable than the Bosch.
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDAKG5NS1KK0C27CBTN"
+            - the acceleration on the `+` and `-` buttons is a little too fast for my liking, but eh.
+            at least it increments in minutes, so I can tap the buttons to get a precise value if I feel like it.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDAZMJFS3TVP1NHF2G7"
+        - you have to understand here: my grandma did not _choose_ to buy an appliance with a touch panel---my parents did it, probably because the price was reasonable (I do not come from a wealthy family.) she just happens to live with my parents and had no control over the choice.
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDA548CFS47QFN7H068"
+            - I believe those were fine choices given the budget, but it saddens me to see her struggle with silencing the oven timer when it goes off.
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDAFRWSDTTKZRY071N0"
+            - she used to be able to operate the old dishwasher, but cannot operate the new one.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDAJS8SP2CN13VKP114"
+        - I'm throwing this in as a note that touch panels pose a _serious_ accessibility problem---if you are designing an electric appliance, please, _please_ consider the fact that your device _may_ be used by people unable to use a touch panel, which requires having good sight.
+
+% id = "01JE246DXA6V2AKWEJG3SWQ46V"
+- ### The Headphones
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDBMNQ3RJKWZXNBMNGK"
+    - this is the one that pisses me off the most, because my headphones are probably the device I use _the most_ throughout the day out of this entire list.
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDBEVFRP4SQQ2EDAX9T"
+    - I have a pair of [Sony WH-1000XM5][wh1000xm5], and while the sound is very good, and the ANC is stellar, I absolutely _hate_ their capacitive touch panel interface.
+
+    [wh1000xm5]: https://electronics.sony.com/audio/headphones/headband/p/wh1000xm5-b
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDB1FEHY0TYF0HTE14R"
+    - thing is that unlike in an oven, which stays in place and you can _see_ what you're doing---headphones are _mounted on your head_.
+    _they move with you_, and they _stay out of your viewport_.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDBAC3ECKYXBCKXH0TA"
+        - this means you have no frame of reference for where and how you're touching.
+        pair this with touch gestures that rely on swipe _direction_, and you've got a concoction of bad UX brewing real quick there.
+        careful or it'll boil over! (oops it just did ---w---)
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDBW1BY067GKJX0YGK1"
+    + another thing is that _this touch panel is capacitive_.
+    now, your average straight white male (i.e.: probably the designer that worked on these) wears short hair, but uh...
+    unfortunately, I am not straight but curvy, _thankyouverymuch_, and I wear long hair. (unlike me, it is not curvy.)
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDBKBMNNZFAEEY6XMTA"
+        + guess you could call me somewhat of a femboy.
+
+        in fact, random people on the street have confused me for a woman many times.
+
+        huh.
+
+            % id = "01JE27CBDBBW88753JJ78F64HF"
+            - though I don't really like the label of "femboy" because it's commonly associated with crossdressing.
+            which I _don't_ do---{-yet-}---but I do definitely have some feminine traits in myself, so I guess it's only natural to call me one.
+
+    % id = "01JE27CBDB83X046C4F3KFB3AB"
+    - hair is something you have to maintain, especially the longer it gets.
+    that maintenance means washing it at least once every two days
+    (which is a frequency that sits firmly on the _bare minimum maintenance_ but _still looks somewhat presentable_ side)
+    and washing your hair means it becomes _wet_ and has to dry.
+
+        % id = "01JE27CBDBM68W9GYCV17TW5EJ"
+        - [I dunno about you but I'm getting a strange sense of déja vu.][branch:01JE27CBDACQACZHDYWR91KQCH]
+
+        % id = "01JE287QG8HZB15B272V2BS19M"
+        - I've had numerous cases now where my wet hair triggered the touch panel by simply _being_, which is honestly even more infuriating than the chopping-board-on-induction-stove thing.
+        because, you know, I generally place my wet chopping boards on the stove deliberately, _knowing_ they will probably fuck up my cooking, but _wishing_ it will somehow work this time, out of laziness and time pressure.
+
+            % id = "01JE287QG8KNVFPYZ8QMBR49XP"
+            - at least Sony was clever enough to require a sliding or double-tapping action to do anything with this interface, so I usually just end up hearing the little _\*pem\*_ feedback sound and nothing else happens, but I don't like that it interrupts my music.
+
+            % id = "01JE287QG831BBMN3GH663JXTT"
+            - also I doubt this is a multitouch panel.
+
+            I wonder just how many times that has caused me to accidentally skip tracks instead of changing the volume.
+            yesterday (well, just a couple hours ago really) I did that _once_.
+            with wet hair.
+
+        % id = "01JE75FSD9JQSSXS8FH912EDB0"
+        - and for the curious.
+
+        I don't use a blow dryer because: a) I don't have one, b) it makes it easy to dry out your hair excessively, which can cause damage, c) I don't really mind waiting.
+
+% id = "01JE287QG8KFP5XM3SDSNXNQ4A"
+- I guess that concludes it for now.
+I don't really like touch panels.
+is there anything more to say?
+
+    % id = "01JE287QG8H13ZYHVYVM2TRDFC"
+    - I really wish designers stopped shoving them where they _really_ do not make the experience any better.
+
+% id = "01JE287QG8JNY4J2KYYKY402YQ"
+- _focus on the user experience, not the looks, because that's what matters in the end._

content/treehouse/new.tree

@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@ if you've been wondering what I've been up to, you've come to the right place.
         % id = "01JDTAEQPT6C6P6RSETHMAKTNH"
         - hint: unlike this page (for now), the Atom feed exposes _categories_ you can feed to your reader to filter out posts you don't want to see.
 
+% tags = ["design"]
+  id = "01JE75N3B0Y9H53TMJJV7MJY9V"
+- ### [touch panels][page:design/touch-panels]
+
+    % id = "01JE75N3B0QVR0M05SYR9QVWY3"
+    - a few examples of bad touch panels on various kitchen appliances (and also, my headphones.)
+
+        % id = "01JE75N3B0AER5A3TR2Q5W1WWR"
+        - designers, please stop shoving touch panels into everything.
+
 % tags = ["programming", "philosophy"]
   id = "01JDZKAP3KT4AD36F6HPJTEM4Z"
 - ### [Advent of Code feels][page:programming/blog/aoc]
@@ -297,3 +307,4 @@ if you've been wondering what I've been up to, you've come to the right place.
 
 
 
+