Probably one of the most handy features of the FMS system is that you can also create or add shopping items to your shopping list whilst away from home.
You can simply do this by either using the customised application that comes with the fridge for your mobile phone. If you're mobile phone is unsupported it is still possible to create shopping lists or to add to a existing shopping list simply by sending a text message to your fridge.
A special application for the iPhone or iPod touch will also be available which will have great similarity to the actual application on the screen. Mainly because you can also use the touchscreen functionality on these products.
FMS - Icons and Buttons
As the design and color scheme itself I wanted the buttons to be nice and large. Since this system will be navigated via a touch screen the buttons need to be large enough. To ensure that people who are using this system can easily navigate through the screens.
Not making them too small so that they can not be accurately pressed and not making them too big so that they clutter the screen. They all have a "average" size so that they can be easily pressed by its users.
The icons used in the main menu use common and easily to recognise illustrations that make it clear from one glance over the screen what purpose they serve. Everyone will be able to understand or guess which function is associated with which icon.
Not making them too small so that they can not be accurately pressed and not making them too big so that they clutter the screen. They all have a "average" size so that they can be easily pressed by its users.
The icons used in the main menu use common and easily to recognise illustrations that make it clear from one glance over the screen what purpose they serve. Everyone will be able to understand or guess which function is associated with which icon.
FMS - Design
For the UI design for this particular project I went for a "button design" meaning that there are not any distracting graphics from the core design.
So in FMS the design itself carries all the functionalities and not just the aesthetic values. By doing so the user does not need to scan the screen long to get an understanding of which graphic has what function.
Keeping in mind that the demographic we are trying to reach is of all ages. How many times have you seen an elderly person using interactive media pressing on the wrong button ? or pressing something that is presumed to be a button but is not.
The key to this design is minimalism and keeping it simple and straightforward. With clearly annotated buttons to make it absolutely clear which function they carry.
So in FMS the design itself carries all the functionalities and not just the aesthetic values. By doing so the user does not need to scan the screen long to get an understanding of which graphic has what function.
Keeping in mind that the demographic we are trying to reach is of all ages. How many times have you seen an elderly person using interactive media pressing on the wrong button ? or pressing something that is presumed to be a button but is not.
The key to this design is minimalism and keeping it simple and straightforward. With clearly annotated buttons to make it absolutely clear which function they carry.
FMS - Color Theme
It is clear that the color theme for FMS is primarily blue. Blue as a color usually represents and is associated with something cold or cool. Another reason why I choose to go with this color is that in certain areas of the blue gamut it provides a fantastic contrast with white text. This in combination with black that I am using for title headers which also gives a perfect contrast for text.
Further more a lot of displays, even the cheap ones, always display blue as a color range very well. I might have gone for a rich color scheme, but in the end it all needs to stay readable and look appealing on a 800x600 resolution screen that needs to fit on a right door of a USA style fridge.
Further more a lot of displays, even the cheap ones, always display blue as a color range very well. I might have gone for a rich color scheme, but in the end it all needs to stay readable and look appealing on a 800x600 resolution screen that needs to fit on a right door of a USA style fridge.
FMS - Realistic ?
The technology to run FMS is all here and there would be no problem in developing such a application as a final product. Though I realise that presenting such a application to a large electrical company will be difficult. Although I believe it is inevitable that this is the future not as such as FMS is currently presented, but there will definitely be a interactive system integrated in your fridge in this decade.
Proof of this is all around us, as an example look at cars. All the speedometers and displays that used to be analogue are being replaced by displays that are completely digital with complicated interface systems and built in GPS navigation and on top of that it is all compatible with your iPod.
I realise FMS will lack certain functionalities to be a appealing product, but would be a more attractive solution if it would include more functions and futures, which I am unable to work out further due to time constraints.
But lets say hypothetically FMS exists and is owned by a company as a flash application. As made clear, or indirectly, in my previous posts that FMS is perfectly capable of existing in today's market.
It should be offered as a complete solution for a existing product for the targeted electrical company. Then I would say that the chance is bigger that you will catch someones interest.
Proof of this is all around us, as an example look at cars. All the speedometers and displays that used to be analogue are being replaced by displays that are completely digital with complicated interface systems and built in GPS navigation and on top of that it is all compatible with your iPod.
I realise FMS will lack certain functionalities to be a appealing product, but would be a more attractive solution if it would include more functions and futures, which I am unable to work out further due to time constraints.
But lets say hypothetically FMS exists and is owned by a company as a flash application. As made clear, or indirectly, in my previous posts that FMS is perfectly capable of existing in today's market.
It should be offered as a complete solution for a existing product for the targeted electrical company. Then I would say that the chance is bigger that you will catch someones interest.
FMS - Technology Required
The technology that will drive the FMS system is cheap and easy to fabricate. Hardware-wise it would consist of two main hardware elements,
- Touch sensitive LCD screen;
- Colour LCD;
- 800x600 Screen resolution.
- Microcomputer.
In terms of software the OS could be a stripped down LINUX version and the interface itself would be done in flash.
All mentioned is already widely available for mass production, reducing the total development cost of such a product. The main cost strained will probably be outsourcing a company to create a custom LINUX system. Although I am sure a ready made system might already be available that would have the capability of running a flash based application. Maybe not in the forms of a microcomputer but still small enough to incorporate it in an large fridge.
Furthermore, a simple interface like this would not need any more powerful hardware / software. You could compare it with a mobile phone which has all the capabilities of the mentioned hardware AND software. Few examples,
- iPhone 3G
- Samsung Omnia
- HTC G1 (Google Phone)
They all have a touch screen and are more then capable of running a interface such as FMS in a flash environment.
- Touch sensitive LCD screen;
- Colour LCD;
- 800x600 Screen resolution.
- Microcomputer.
In terms of software the OS could be a stripped down LINUX version and the interface itself would be done in flash.
All mentioned is already widely available for mass production, reducing the total development cost of such a product. The main cost strained will probably be outsourcing a company to create a custom LINUX system. Although I am sure a ready made system might already be available that would have the capability of running a flash based application. Maybe not in the forms of a microcomputer but still small enough to incorporate it in an large fridge.
Furthermore, a simple interface like this would not need any more powerful hardware / software. You could compare it with a mobile phone which has all the capabilities of the mentioned hardware AND software. Few examples,
- iPhone 3G
- Samsung Omnia
- HTC G1 (Google Phone)
They all have a touch screen and are more then capable of running a interface such as FMS in a flash environment.
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