Introduction

We propose to design a toaster oven that attempts to overcome the problems we face in our current day toaster ovens while adding new functionalities to it. Our goal is to create a simple interface that is accessible and provides visual feedback.

Features

Power: Opening the door will turn the oven on, enabling the parameters to be set. After 5 minutes of inactivity, the oven will turn itself off and the displays will turn off as well.

Door: Our design consists of a simple pull down door which is easy to understand and operate.

Dials: We used dials inspired by the Nest thermostat. It has a built-in LED screen and a dial which you can rotate to set the temperature and timer. These dials allow you to display a lot of information in a compact form. You would also be able to allow for different languages and color-blind options since the display is digital. The illuminated screens make it easy to read the settings in low light.

Temperature Controls: Dial which displays temperature in Fahrenheit and changes to Celsius when pushed. It displays the current temperature of the toaster when the oven is powered on. Also, as the toaster heats up we can see the color change on the dial going from mild pink to dark red as the temperature rises.

Timer: Dial which displays the remaining time in minutes. Turning the dial clockwise increments the time and turning the dial counter-clockwise decrements the time. Certain time settings, such as 12 minutes, will display an icon (e.g. pizza, dark toast, light toast, etc).

Functions: The top of the control panel has a touchscreen button which rotates through preset functions when touched (e.g.: Toast, Bake, Broil, and Warm).

Daltonism Proof (Color Blind): We also have a setting that caters to the needs of our color blind users and this can be changed when it is connected to the app.

Companion App: This toaster oven also comes with an optional app that users can download to change the default settings. We would allow for multiple languages, color changes for color-blind users, and even the ability to download recipes from the internet and have preset time/temperature configurations on the dials.

Feedback: We hear a "ding" sound on completion. Also, the light inside it turns on when the toasting/cooking is in progress.

Conclusion: This toaster oven is a better design in multiple ways:

• Dials have a large, easy to read display screen and also give a feedback in terms of color changes.
• Highly accessible due to color-blind options, multiple language support, and metric vs. imperial system support.
• Instant feedback when the food is cooking as the light turns on.
• Flexibility with temperature and timer setting
• Simple and consistent user experience by adjusting dials to the desired settings