I am yet to encounter a TV or DVD/video remote control that is intuitive to use beyond its most basic functions such as play, stop, rewind, etc. In fact it is one device whose design has so far evaded a much needed user experience (UX) makeover.
I can’t tell you how many design presentations I have begun with the remote control unit (RCU) as exhibit #1 for the increased complexity of our lives and the huge need for design to improve the state of affairs for the average consumer. So why have we made so little headway? Having worked for both Consumer Electronics and Cable companies on precisely this problem, I can attest to the many reasons why the RCU has been remarkably impervious to good design. But maybe I am just missing the peculiar logic of why the current RCU design is so good?
Possibly remote control UX designers could take a cue from the user interface menu systems of mobile phones though, which while able to perform all manner of tasks, make only the most essential functionality readily accessible.
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