Designing Controls for the User – Part 3: Universality

This immediate familiarity is vitally important in a range of different situations. For controls that are intended for use by the public, instant recognition of their function delivers confidence in the customer.

The military has always been keen to employ control systems that are easy to understand. An intuitive control system reduces the amount of training that needs to be provided. In addition, for applications that demand high levels of precision or a rapid response, easily understood controls enable quick reactions. The right look and feel of a control system greatly enhances the operator’s effectiveness.

For these reasons, the military is taking advantage of an entire generation of young people who understand technology to the very core of their being. By specifying familiar interfaces that mirror the ergonomic and aesthetic features of gaming controllers, the military has been able to tap into an instinctive skill set that simply does not need to be taught. This has been applied to everything from heavy engineering equipment to bomb disposal robots, reducing the learning curve needed to employ high technology systems.