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2 key factors in kiosk software development

February 27, 2012 by Natsumi Nakamura — Marketing, PFU Systems

In our next couple blog posts, we will focus on the software side of a kiosk project.

There are two key factors in kiosk software development that maximize the return on the organization's kiosk and IT investment. The first is the development of an attractive and user-friendly kiosk application and user interface. A good kiosk user interface ensures that the kiosks are fully utilized and enhances user/customer experience. The second is a seamless integration of the new kiosk application to the organization's existing systems.

Part one of this blog will delve into the user interface of kiosk applications. Based on our kiosk application development, we believe the following four major criteria should be considered in developing an excellent user interface.

Easy to browse

• Use large fonts.
• Keep high contrast between text and background.
• Choose background colors that make fingerprints and reflection less obvious.

Easy to understand

• Keep it simple.
• Provide clear instructions.
• Provide multi-language support.
• Use consistent page layout and color (e.g. Next button at the right-bottom of every page).

Easy to operate

• Use large buttons.
• Avoid complicated operations such as double-clicking, scrolling or dragging.
• Optimize touch screen configuration (e.g. sensitivity, point/stream mode).
• Make it obvious when a button is pressed (e.g. beeps, 3D buttons).

Attractive

• Make the design attractive and user-friendly.
• Incorporate the brand image.

Once the kiosk application is developed, it is really important to conduct through testing to verify the following:

• Are all the steps and instructions clear to users?
• Can non-technically savvy people use the application without difficulties?
• Are there any pages that have a higher abandon rate?

Continuous monitoring of the kiosk application usage will also help organizations to optimize the user interface and maximize the ROI.

Check back in a couple weeks for part two of this blog, which will explain the integration of a kiosk application to the organization's existing systems.

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