Rant: Appliance UI

At the moment a certain large European brand is running an advert that (to paraphrase) says that whenever there is a problem, they'll think up a solution. This time the solution appears to be clay. In a dishwasher. Why exactly would anyone knowingly add clay to their clothes, or to their dishes is beyond me, but then again, they don't say it's clay, they use the "nicer" name. But I digress, I have something else in mind (granted, distantly related.)

We have washing machine/dryer combination made by this same company I referred above. Remember the slogan, (again paraphrasing) "problem? we'll think of the solution". Well, it certainly seems that exactly none of their engineers responsible of this trainwreck of an user interface have any children.

As evidence I present you the interface of the washing machine (with manufacturer and models photoshopped out)

Pretty nice in general. Select general program with the wheel. Do necessary adjustment with following buttons, then start with that nice large button at right. Full of nice, bright controls that you can twist or push. Even when the program is running. And twisting that very easily accessible wheel, even a bit, will permanently cancel current washing program.

The thing about children - especially toddlers - is that they are very very curious. Nice bright lights? That will draw their attention. And if that wheel is touched, well, goodbye program, the only option is to start all over again. Even if program was two thirds - or seven eights - or or ... -- of the way through. Just because someone came and touched the damn wheel. Absolutely no way to resume or even know how far the program was.

This is not good UI design. This is very very bad UI design. Insanely bad design. Shame on you, company-that-I-refuse-to-name-here.

Now, compare it to our Rosenlew dishwasher (no photo of that, sorry). If a program is running, you have to press and hold two buttons down for about five seconds to cancel it. And cancelled I have, many many times when the said toddler has managed to start washing cycle on that dishwasher. But so far he never ever has managed to stop ongoing program. I have had to turn the washer on a few times (even then it resumes from previous state - exactly as one would expect!) but either way, much much better than the stupid washing machine.