• Archives of design research
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• v.20 no.3 s.71
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• pp.235-246
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• 2007

The study aims to design an integrated remote controller, which is an increasingly essential device in the home, for more convenient use. For this purpose, an alternative user interface (UI) design was developed by applying the user interface system of a popular existing product to an integrated remote control highly usable and easy to learn for domestic use, and the usability was evaluated. For the existing popular product, a cellular phone was selected, the operation method of which is similar to the stick-type integrated remote control for which the user interface design was to be developed in this research. Common characteristics of the UI of the selected cellular phone were derived and the characteristics were applied as much as possible to the design of a stick-type integrated remote control. The prototype of the alternative design, which was simulated with Flash, went through two pilot tests for further improvement before making the final experimental prototype. Based on the results, prototype buttons that improved the feeling of use in terms of physical operation and feedback were made, and the usability of the new UI design of a stick-type integrated remote control for domestic use were evaluated with 41 university students in their 20s. According to the results of the experiment, the newly designed stick-type integrated remote control based on the UI of an existing product may improve the usability of remote controls and the outcome of this study is expected to provide a good model for R&D of new UI designs of stick-type integrated remote controls for domestic use.