In Design, Being User-Friendly Counts Most

By Cho Jin-seo

Staff Reporter

Better technology does not necessary mean more convenience. When making household or mobile appliances, engineers often fall into the trap of self-satisfaction, while neglecting the true needs of the consumers. A good example is TV remote controls that have 20 or 30 function buttons, which do nothing more than confuse users.

Considering the human factor is one of the major challenges that the engineering industry has these days. The science of designing things to enable people to use them more efficiently is called ergonomics in academia.

The Ergonomics Society of Korea (ESK) recently announced its annual award to 12 electronics and other household products made by local companies. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics won five and four awards respectively. Here are this year's grand prizewinners announced last Friday.

Household appliance: LG Electronics front-loading washer FR3228TA

Over the past few years, European-style front-loading washing machines have begun to replace American-style top-loading washers in Korean homes. The front-loading type, called a ``drum washer,'' in Korea, saves more energy and water than the top-loading type. It also saves space because it can fit underneath a kitchen sink ― a big advantage for city dwellers living in small apartments with no balcony.

The front-loading washers, however, have a big disadvantage ― users have to bend down to put and take out laundry, which causes stress to the back and knees. To solve the problem, Daewoo Electronics produced a washer in which the drum is facing slightly upward, while Samsung Electronics enlarged the size of the front door.

By raising the front door 18 centimeters higher than previous models, LG Electronics was able to beat competitors with the FR3228TA.

^However, doing so was not as easy as it sounds. The higher the drum is located from the ground, the more vibration it gives when spinning. LG said it solved this problem by applying the same anti-vibration technology used in building the Taipei 101 Tower, the worlds tallest building.

Mobile device: Samsung MP3 player YP-P2

Touch-sensitive screens are the hot new trend in mobile gadgets, whether it is a phone, MP3 player or a portable video game player. Samsung's YP-P2 player is the company's flagship MP3 player, which is gaining a strong reputation for its fun and intuitive controls.

Touch screens have their ups and downs. The touch interface is usually not as accurate as physical buttons and dials. On the other hand, it gives functions and controls great flexibility. The P2 player has a big touch screen that controls nearly all of the player's functions ― MP3 music, FM radio, photo viewer and video playback.

With P2, users can also select from three fonts and three menu types and can set any picture as wallpaper.

``At Samsung, we have been developing products based on the emotional aspect of consumers, not on the mechanical aspect of the machine,'' said Choi Young-gyu, executive in charge of Samsung's MP3 division. ``We are happy to receive this award because it confirms that P2 is a consumer-focused product.''