So its an interesting time to look at the best of the best so far. What do you thinnk are the three best user interfaces to hit the television in the last ten years? Here is my list and my reasons:
In third place we have...Hillcrest Labs Home Interface
Home comes in at number 3. A 2.5D user interface (scaled surfaces are placed facing the viewer and never rotated) which enables a unique moving through menus feel. We do not move from one menu to another but literally through them, flying into the choice we just made and back out when we chose. Hillcrest combine this with a pointer device, not a traditional RCU, to give a true step up in user interfaces. Home isn't just a user interface, its a configurable platform for CE manufacturers to use in their own way, including reference games, music player etc.
Home has that elusive cool factor, it shows a really great 3D effect but does so by never leaving 2D and scaling. User interfaces that go the 3D route are usually doomed. Hillcrest Labs clearly understand that presenting information in 3D is simply wrong and instead limit the 3D to transition effects that truly involve the user in the interface.
A great modern interface that runs on todays devices and addresses the needs of CE manufacturers. The interface only makes it into third place because the pointer device requirement means it is not a cheap, standard, solution for use with traditional RCUs. Go to another article about Hillcrest Labs here.
The Runner up is...Apple TV
Apple produced a set top box that whilst not their most successful product, sent a shockwave into the industry with its user interface. By exploiting 3D hardware in subtle ways, and using minimalist design principles, the user interface was almost completely intuitive and super cool in that unique Apple way.
Apple again undertood the role of 3D in user interfaces. They place all primary information flat, in one area of the screen. Re-inforcing, or secondary information (such as icons, images etc.) are allowed in 3D in another part of the screen. The 3d is minimised to a supporting role. Where Apple led of course , others have followed since but it was Apple who first showed the way.
Minimalism too isn't an easy design. The key is to use very small effects to great purpose. The user barely notices changes in colour, light, animation entry and exit speed, shadow and reflection but all are present and all add tot he feeling. I once had the priviledge to sit with a designer and listen to what he saw in the interface and I was astonished at the detail Apple have gone to. Piror to Apple TV user interfaces were busy and included classic screen entries like "Press exit key to Exit". Apple ended all that.
The RCU was minimalist too, up, down, left, right, OK. The interface did not require the annoying coloured buttons and no help was necessary on the screen.
Yet for me the interface felt dumbed down. It was almost too slick, too easy. There were no corners to explore or surprise menus. The remote felt like a childs toy and all too plastic. Like the guy who prefers his Jaguar E-type to the XK, just because, well, its an E-type, Apple does not get my top spot.
And The Winner Is... TiVo Series 1
What? That blue, 2D mess? Yes.
TiVo was released in 1999 - archaeology in tech terms. Yet the interface was streets ahead of others. Using alpha blending, sliding and - horror - curved edges to boxes, it just looked so much better than anything else. It moved smoother than anything else. The animations has fade in and fade out on the motion. The highlight moved smoothly from one choice to another, it didn't jump. The graphics were large and bold and even included a cute TV character logo, long before Clippy destroyed our love of such things.
Plugging in the device for the first time brought up a cute animation of the TiVo TV character swinging across the screen and around plastic constructions, bringing the TiVo platform to life, full of character. The out of box experience was fun and exciting. It had character!
The user interface itself was a traditional blue colour, something much copied since. It worked very well and at the time seemed fresh and vibrant. The remote was unique, easy to hold and well organised. It stood out, against the black remotes lieing around the living room, in glorious silver. A brave decision.
TiVo chose to use sound better than any other user interface since. A ping of congratulations greeted correct actions whilst a dong of remonstration warned of incorrect action. This simple addition made it possible to complete actions without looking at the screen! A user interface where you didn't focus on the screen? I'm still amazed today. Just by pressing left, you moved back up menus to the main menu, presing quickly until dong, dong, dong, meant you could go no further.
Using left to exit a menu screen was a true touch of interface design at its best. It meant the user could repeatedly press left to exit menus, with no fear of going too far and back to the TV image. Too many user interfaces use the same button to return from a menu screen and to return to the main broadcast. Not being forced to find back with your thumb for moving around menus was a joy.
The DVR functionality allowed for new interface conceptions such as time shift buffer and thumb keys.
So it was bright, vibrant, used sound, presented a unique user interface, was cool and had character! Elusive qualities indeed. I read recently someone criticising TiVo for not improving the user interface much in the last ten years. In response I would say, the user interface and product were ahead of their time. Only in the last few years have they begun to look old fashioned. TiVo was for me, the best user interface of its time. Of all time.
So far...
In the future we will have FLASH, Java and GEM, 3D and other technologies to play with. The heat is on, lets hope that user interface designers don't forget the nice touches done in the past in the race to be new and fresh.
(postscript: I have not yet found an image of TiVo series 1 user interface on the net! If you find one let me know in the comments.)
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