When it comes to process controllers, engineering and features are key to function. The size and design would represent the shape part. But is that all it is?

When considering accessories for a product that must have appeal to the end customer, design corresponds to what percentage of the decision-making process?

The answer is not simple for one main reason: The decision-making process of a purchase is not traceable and therefore not measurable. A choice is a set of actions that entails the conscious and subconscious cognitive systems. Although it is possible to direct a person’s decision-making process, it is not possible to control it entirely.

So, meeting function expectations is the basics, but it is possible to add value to a product by creating features that act on cognitive processes that occur without the customer being aware of it.

Controller with LCD display: A modern look

LCD display technology is not new. In the 80s, NOVUS already had products with screens made of this material, such as DL4000, our first data logger. However, this type of display has evolved and become more adaptable for different devices. Nowadays, LCD technology enables consolidated products on the market, such as process controllers, to modernize their direct user interface.

The N1050 controller LCD display is the first visible feature of this compact device. Complete regarding its features, it has PID functions, ramps and soaks, timer, analog output, auto-tuning, and it is also easy to program. However, none of this is visible to the end customer, who will have the controller in his field of vision almost every day.

Controller beyond the function

Sight is a sense. It is not merely a window through which we observe the world. Colors and shapes also cause bodily sensations and sensory responses, although in a much more subtle way than is experienced in taste or smell.

In an exercise for comparison purposes, think of two cars, one Volkswagen and one Lamborghini. This evaluation considers only the shape of the cars, without regard to their engineering.

Assuming that both were manufactured in the same year, which of the imagined cars seems more modern, more powerful, and has higher added value? Now imagine that both have the same engine and are sold for the same price. This makes it easy to choose, doesn’t it?

While function is the main requirement for choosing a car or an electronic device, design can communicate value and even efficiency. And being visually appealing is just one more feature of the N1050 controller.

 

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