Bad Microwave Controls

You are spot on my friend!

Unfortunately, more and more product interfaces seem to be falling into the hands of unqualified people. I never understood the arrows next to each other and have to keep fighting to keep them up and down in projects. The other stuff was probably done to cut down on buttons. Not that cost a lot, but it “looks easier”.

Personally, I’ve never found anything that looked easier than a 3x4 set of numbers like a telephone. They are ubiquitous. Why change?

Yeah, you are not alone. Another one of those ‘Lets simplify it’ jobs that actually turns out to be more complicated. Sometimes more buttons isnt a bad thing. On another note, why hasnt anyone built in some sort of scale for the turntable? The reheat/defrost functions are always based on weight, but I dont know anyone that can accurately guess something to the ounce. It would be nice to just select the food type and be done with it. Instead Im left with chicken still frozen in the middle, a band about .5" wide that is defrosted, and the outside cooked to a rubbery material.

Great observations.
I think it’s nice to see some differentiation to eliminate the endless possibilities of the buttons on current microwaves, but in the end fails. I’m sure if you point it back to whomever created the designs it wasn’t fully understood (which I believe you need to completely understand something in order to simplify it) and/or had no user validation or they didn’t listen to it…

Something so minimal on my current lower-end microwave (being a college student!) is that the controls are all the same color, and that Start and Stop/Clear are on opposite sides on the bottom of the keypad. It’s about a 50/50 chance that I actually hit start on the first try. A simple color addition of Green on the Start and Red on the Stop/Clear would remove this error.

I’ve been thinking about bad interfaces on microwaves for a while now. Someday I will actually make it a project. My main thesis is that I don’t need 20 buttons on my microwave. I long for the days of the dial timer and nothing else.

Commercial microwaves have dials.

Why can’t consumer models? Are manufacturers under the impression that the microwave needs 400 buttons and lots of extra do-dads?

What do you use a microwave for? Ever use ANY setting other than 100% power? I only do when defrosting something which I generally try to avoid. Read a microwave popcorn label sometime. Most of them say DON’T use the popcorn button on your microwave…

Exactly NURB. It might be my next for fun project. I have ideas for other appliances too–maybe a small concept collection for fun

There are so many backwards steps that products have taken in the digital age as tangible interfaces have gone virtual. Yesterday, I was touring an older apartment in a San Diego suburb, and I discovered a sweet circular drum dishwasher with a lid that was part of the countertop. When you close the lid, it starts automatically. It didn’t work anymore since they don’t make replacement parts, but appliances have really suffered from digitization IMO, as have so many other products.

Cameron: Part of it is the showroom. That washing machine is great installed, but imagine it next to a new LG that is silver with 120 flashing lights (WOW!). It will look like a lost puppy.

BTW Scott Jenson did a little microwave UI project in his book The Simplicity Shift. Great read. Download here:

you are the victim of a costed-out commodity product.
the interface could’ve been better but the stainless steel is more important to the sale.

Take away the PCB, the popple domes, etc, and you have one mechanical dial. I’d say it’s a wash at worst.

I also contend that while product managers may think people want christmas trees for all their appliances, the users themselves don’t actually want that. At least the days of shelf-system speaker light shows are over…I remember my Sony system kept me up at night sometimes.

The first microwave my family ever owned had a dial for time, two giant buttons ( high power and low power) and a door handle. That is it! Turns out 1985 was the height of interaction design for microwaves! Seems like all the interaction guys are too busy working on apps you don’t really need to want to work on the things that people use everyday like this… :wink:

But I NEED my microwave to post to Twitter and Facebook…

I think the addition of the popcorn button was a great idea. It is the most cooked item that is microwaved. I think the clock was a step back. Just leave the screen blank or something. I haven’t set the clock on my microwave in a couple years, it’s still flashing “12:00”. Complete waste of someone’s time.

Facebook update from Chris: Hi everyone, I just made a frozen burrito! This message sent via GE microwave.

Share your embarrassing health compromises with the world!!!

Nobody at all designed this product! The buyer from Wall Mart or Costco instructed whoever, a price point and a stainless appearance - that’s it. A few months later a factory in China spit it out so your boss could buy it.

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: and sadly some will.

and your health insurance company Posted to all of Cameron’s face book friends. “Hi, Cameron just got a .2% increase in his health insurance premium because of high fat diet, sent via data mining provided by GE appliances.” :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

A Ham Button!

I’ve actually just shopped for all new appliances. Found this same issue. Check out the Ikea microwaves. Actually much nicer than most out there.





Not to get too of topic, but I find very interesting that normally the more “professional” the appliance, the more pure the design is (less flourishes and finishes), and also very often the less features it has. Straight forward knobs, buttons, etc.

Compare a top of the line Viking Range to a low end Whirlpool. Note the pro one has no clock, no display, etc.

Compare a semi-pro espresso maker with a low end one. The semi-pro one has just a few simple button. No clock, shiny details, etc.




R

Ironically, Viking has never made a pro range… I only know this because I was researching their brand for a project, but I know what you mean. Check out their story R, I think you will appreciate it as much as I do.

Viking Range Corporation was founded by Fred Carl, Jr., a fourth generation building contractor, as a speculative venture aimed at developing the first commercial-type range specifically designed, engineered and certified for home use.

The idea of developing a commercial-type range for home use resulted from Carl noticing the increasing use of commercial ranges in residential kitchens during the late 1970s. Recognizing the need for such a product became even more apparent when Carl was designing and building his new home in 1980. The typical stainless steel restaurant range strongly appealed to Carl and his wife wanted a heavy-duty, classic looking range like her mother’s old Chambers, which had long been out of production.

As he considered the possibility of using a standard commercial range in their home, Carl became convinced that restaurant ranges were definitely not designed for home use. Among the numerous disadvantages which made those undesirable and impractical for installation in a residential kitchen were: high heat output and extremely hot surface temperatures, no safety features, excessive energy consumption, constantly burning standing pilot instead of automatic ignition, no broiling in the oven, and dimensions which were not designed for typical residential cabinetry.

Carl became convinced that the ideal solution would be a hybrid range that would combine the most desirable features of both a commercial range and the old Chambers range his wife so badly wanted. This left him with a dilemma - he realized both he and his wife wanted something that didn’t exist. But he also saw this as an opportunity. If no one was making such a product, why shouldn’t he? So he decided to pursue the idea of creating the world’s first heavy duty, commercial-type range for the home.

Carl first conducted a thorough design analysis to identify all the advantages and disadvantages of commercial ranges. 1n 1981 and 1982, while operating his design/build construction company, he used any spare time he had to prepare conceptual drawings and developed detailed specifications which eliminated all the shortcomings of a commercial range for home use while including all their advantages. High performance cooking, large capacity, heavy duty construction and professional styling were all key elements of his design. Carl then added all the desirable features of a high-end residential range, such as automatic ignition, in-the-oven broiling, convenient controls, ample insulation to decrease exterior temperatures and heat output into the kitchen, standard widths and depths to accommodate typical residential cabinetry, and various other functional and cosmetic improvements. To achieve the look of the old Chambers, he included the option of a brilliant white finish in his specifications.

In preparation for taking his product to market, Carl then began establishing the business structure of the venture. In late 1983, with the assistance of a local advertising agency, he named the new company and its product “Viking”. Carl incorporated Viking Range Corporation on March 22, 1984. The challenge of pioneering and developing the very first commercial-type range for the home had officially begun.

Carl began presenting his drawings and specifications to various commercial range manufacturers, seeking a partner that would aid him in developing and producing a commercial-type range for home use. After being turned down by virtually every major restaurant range manufacturer in the industry, Carl ultimately persuaded a southern California company to assist him with the engineering and to carry out the manufacturing of the first Viking range.

The engineering and certification process of the first Viking range spanned a period of more than three years. Being a hybrid of both commercial and residential equipment, Carl¿s Viking range was the first such range to ever be submitted to the American Gas Association laboratories for certification. Because no such product had ever existed or been tested, AGA approval involved over a year of extensive testing and evaluation, including the creation of several new testing criteria. AGA certification was finally obtained in late 1986, and 20 test and sample units were produced in October and November of that year. Normal production of the world’s first commercial-type range for home use finally began in January, 1987.

The unanticipated volume and growth experienced by Viking quickly overwhelmed the capacity and capabilities of the California manufacturer and production was subsequently moved to a household appliance manufacturer in eastern Tennessee that was more accustomed to larger volumes. Although this company provided some degree of improvement, various problems and challenges persisted which were beyond Carl’s control and he knew another change had to be made.

Therefore, in October of 1989, Viking began preparations for manufacturing its own product line in Carl’s hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi, located in the historic Mississippi Delta. By February of 1990, the first Viking-produced range top went into production. Production of the 48-inch range followed in April, and by July 1990, all models were in production in Greenwood. For the first time Viking assumed full responsibility for the in-house manufacture of its own product line.

In July 1992, Stephens Inc., a Little Rock, Arkansas, investment banking firm (> www.stephens.com> ), made a major equity investment in Viking Range Corporation. Carl’s new partnership with Stephens allowed Viking to accelerate its rapid growth and to further expand its product line and manufacturing capabilities to keep pace with the increasing demand for its high quality products.

The original Viking manufacturing facility in Greenwood was located in a 35,000 sq. ft. former distribution warehouse (which had been built by Carl’s father in the 1950’s) and served the company’s needs for about two years. However, increased volume and the addition of new products soon stretched the capacity of this small manufacturing facility. In 1992, the decision was made to move to a larger 100,000 sq. ft. plant to accommodate the continued growth of the company. This facility, located on what is now Viking Road, has been enlarged several times in the past few years to approximately 240,000 sq. ft. and is now the Viking cooking products manufacturing plant.

In 1986, the Viking corporate offices were moved from Carl¿s cramped construction company office to a partially renovated building on the bank of the Yazoo River in the historic Cotton Row District of downtown Greenwood. As the company continued to grow, Carl expanded his offices within this building and soon filled it. Committed to staying in downtown Greenwood, he then began buying adjoining buildings to house the growing company. The Viking corporate headquarters now consists of a collection of historic buildings totaling over 50,000 square feet. All of the downtown buildings are original structures of the late 1800s and early 1900s, and several have received historic preservation awards from the Mississippi Heritage Trust as well as the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award for commercial district revitalization.

But the “commercial-style” is uber clean.

Also, those Ikea products are pretty awesome looking.