Current Trends In Microwave oven Design

Microwave oven design has evolved from within functionality but it remains largely under-designed in terms of user interaction and usability. Creeping featurism of existing microwave oven is creating user confusion and as a result making users’ realization of core goals much harder and frustrating.

There is a need for user-centered microwave oven design that will provide users with better or easier:oTask PerformanceoFunctionalityoEfficiencyoEffectivenessoAffordanceoEmotional Satisfaction

User Population

The microwave oven user population is rapidly increasing. In 1998 microwave ownership figure was 70.6% and increased to 83.5% in 2004. Currently the microwave ownership stands at 84% of all households in UK. User Population are divided into following 4 user persona groups to grasp the overall user requirements: o18-25o26-44 o45-75o76 and over

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Growth of solo microwave oven sale 2000-2004

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Figure: Rise of one-person household

Figure: Household penetration of microwave oven Figure: House hold penetration of microwave oven

User Requirements Gathering

As microwave oven market is a well-established market the opportunity of design lies on the latent needs and the emergent behavior users employ to interact with the microwave oven. The following research methods have been used to find out the user behavior and requirements:oTask AnalysisoObservationoSelf report Log

Usage PatternTo reheat leftover food

To defrost other food

Cooking a main meal itemie jacket potato pizza etc

To cook a chilled readymeal

To warm a drink eg tea

To cook a frozen readymeal

To cook fresh vegetables

To heat baby food milk

To grill something

Research Findings: oUsers mainly carry out core usage of Microwave Oven that are reheating, defrosting and cooking.oUsers mostly use Microwave oven on full power.oUsers use the time selection knob as a switch.oOverwhelming features confuses users.

Design Concepts Generation & Evaluation

Design Concepts have been generated with relevant to the research findings and cognitive psychology concepts such as mental models, metaphors, mapping and affordnace. Design Concepts for Microwave oven have been generated using oSketch modelingoPaper prototyping oOnscreen prototyping.

Iterative design process has been undertaken to rectify the design flaws from the user evaluation of the rapid prototypes early in the design stage. User Involvement has

been maintained throughout the design concept development stage. The functionality, accessibility and usability of the prototypes has been evaluated using following evaluation methods:oHeuristic evaluationoCognitive Walkthrough

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Operation of time slider upwards corresponds to the users perception.

Full power is on by default.

Selecting Defrost button disengages full power

Start Stop Door Open

Self-explanatory Start, Stop and Door Open buttons

Colour intensity of the time scale as time selection increases helps users understand easily, which time range they are selecting.

  

 

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FULL POWER DEFROSTDEFROST

DEFROST FULL POWER

Final Design concept(EasyCook)

Interaction and usability strength of EasyCook

The user testing reveals the final Design Concept significantly reduces the tasks to achieve the core goals. Users only need to select time using time slider (image 2) and press Start button (image 3) to reheat or cook.

This also provides clear feedback of cooking or reheating stage with the change of indoor light colour (image 3, 4 & 5) along with other feedbacks.  

Task 1: Selection of timeObject Inside. No task has been selected

Task 2: Pressing of Start Button.o       This starts the microwave oven. Blue colour of indoor light indicates primary stage of cooking. 

Middle stage of the activity selected Closing stage of the activity selected

 

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