Push button or pushbox? Some scenarios for a decision

Push buttons are practical little helpers in many situations – be it in an industrial setting, on a trade show or as a tool in a photographer’s studio. But what if you need more than one function to be executed by a programmable button? For a more multifunctional use, a pushbox with up to three buttons in it can be helpful for you. If you are not sure if your enviroment of usage requires a push button or a pushbox with more functions you can check these typical scenarios for a pushbox to find out. Pushing a button is always easier and more intuitive than entering hot keys, doing mouse clicks or navigating through a system with a touchscreen. This is also the case with automatons. There is usually a small number of typical functions which everybody needs during the process, In a museum or in a showroom, for example, you might not want everyone to fret your sensitive touchscreens or to leave their fingerprints on them. Then you can offer a pushbox as a robust alternative with individually programmed buttons, adapted to the users’ needs. You find more specific scenarios in the following paragraphs.

2. You want to make gaming and entertainment an easy fun.

In gaming and entertainment, user experience is one of the most important success factors. All processes should be as easy and customized as possible. Nonetheless, some functions of an automaton are used more frequently than others. You can make it easier for the users to find and activate them. A practical examples: in an interactive race simulator, you can assign the following functions to the buttons „Start“, „Pause“, „Back to Menu“ and „Repeat“. The integrated pushbox becomes even easier to use if the buttons come in different colours.

3. Your company’s ticket machine shall become more intuitive to use.

Everyone knows the typical problems when using a ticket machine, for example if you „just“ want to buy a train ticket. These machines are often not self- explanatory and it takes a lot of time for some target groups to finally get their ticket. One specific target group can be persons with a reduced eye-sight or with issues concerning their hand-eye-coordination. Another target group can be people who are just a little inexperienced with interactive technology and easily get lost in too many options.In these scenarios, a touch screen, which can be „lagging“, too if it is not intact and clean, can become a difficult and frustrating way to go. You can create a better user experience by using a pushbox for the main functions like „Buy a ticket“, „Find directions“, „Go back“ and „Go foward“. Such a procedure might not solve all usability problems, but at least some of them.

4. You have multilateral, but repeated main processes in your production line.

Every machine in a production line usually has to operate a complex spectrum of processes. There are always some main processes which occur repeatedly – and these are usually standardized, also with regard to their use. You can naturally use hot keys, mouse buttons on your screen or touchscreens to activate these repeated processes, but all these technical options are prone to errors or defects. Compared to these risks, a pushbox with specifically programmed buttons is a robust and reliable solution to save time, maintenance costs and material.

5. You need a machine which releases exact information matches for your customers.

Interactive machines which release important information for customers or tourists have become popular in many contexts. Like all service-oriented technology, these machines must function as intuitively as possible and last for a long time period – even after frequent and inprudent use, A correctly programmed, customized pushbox can help you to satisfy your customers’ „information hunger“ at lower material or maintenance costs and technical defects. A common practical example could be an interactive tourist information counter at a sightseeing place with the buttons „Show map“, „General information“, „Bars & Restaurants“, „More Hotspots“.

6. You have a fitness studio and you want to upgrade your customers’ level of safety and comfort.

When people are concentrated on their bodies while doing sports, nothing is more annoying than having to deal with complex adaptations on their exercise equipment. So it is a win-win situation for both you and your sporty customers if you give your gym machines an upgrade for easier usage. Apart from an emergency switch which is required necessary for the users’ safety you can help them with an integrated pushbox. So they can regulate parameters like the intensity level or exercise setting with the push of a button.

7. You work with sensitive medical equipment and want your basic diagnostic tools to be „at hand“.

Medical equipment is usually expensive and prone to damages when it is used in an imprudent manner. But also with software used in a medical context, the wrong handling or data entry errors can lead to data loss or false diagnoses. In a nutshell: Using medical equipment incorrectly or damaging has a negative effect on the patient’s health – and on the doctor’s reputation. With a pushbox, you can activate four main functions which you and your employees would usually need hot keys or a touchscreen for. It is robust enough to last for more than a million switching operation and it is splash-proof. There are a lot of good reasons to upgrade your customers’ user comfort – and a pushbox with individual buttons can help you realize your ideas. The seven use cases presented above are only a few examples for possible user scenarios. Have you got other ideas and recommendations for scenarios? Then let us know! You find the technical details on the product page.