software
UI design for
kiosk software
Kiosk software design isn’t just a matter of enabling
touch on your application – it’s about making sure
you create the most touch-friendly UI possible
By Andrew Long, Co-founder, Welcm Software – www.welcm.uk
I’ve been actively hunting down
touchscreen kiosks on my travels
recently, and every time I see one I have
a go on it. If there are other people
using it already I don’t mind waiting as
I get to see how people interact with
it; are they getting frustrated, are they
impressed, do they seem to be getting
what they wanted from it.
I’m not blind to how nerdy this
makes me sound but, hey, user
experience (UI) is my thing and this sort
of research makes me better at what
I do. Fortunately, if you’re reading this
article the likelihood is you also keep
an eye out for kiosks when you’re out
and about so at least I should be in
good company here! I’ve heard that
being nerdy is actually cool, so perhaps
checking out kiosks in our spare time
makes us cool. Probably not. Anyway, I
digress.
Touchscreen user experience is my
particular specialisation. I’ve always said
that kiosk user interfaces are all too
often designed like a desktop UI. Kiosk
software designers regularly seem to
work on the basis of the screen size
when designing for a kiosk, rather than
on the basis of interaction type (i.e. your
fingers rather than a mouse). By that
I mean they make the kiosk software
look and behave like a desktop app just
because the screen is desktop PC size.
I love touchscreens
I believe touchscreen are, by their very
nature, a more intuitive way to interact
than with a mouse and a cursor. Anyone
who has introduced an elderly relative to
an iPad having previously tried to show
them how to use a PC will be able to
testify to this point. As Apple’s early iPad
advert stated, “You already know how to
use it”. That’s a phrase that stuck with
me and one that I have in mind when
designing any UI. A kiosk is more often
than not unattended, so users need to
be able to use it without any outside
instructions. For me, a piece of kiosk
software is a failure if users don’t already
know how to use it when they first pitch
up at the kiosk.
Change your outlook
So, if desktop applications shouldn’t be
the source of design inspiration, what
should? I believe mobile design is much
more similar and should be used as the
basis of our thinking. Yes, the screen size
of your average phone is tiny compared
to a touchscreen kiosk, but the way you
interact with them is identical. You see
things, you touch them, stuff happens.
KIOSK solutions 39