Application of EMI: Gas Stovetop Design  

4.  Learnability Design 

The Appeal of 
Structured Design

The three burner gas stovetop in Fig. 1 and the five burner electric stovetop in Fig. 2 are quite different than the original single-burner single-control conceptual model. However, the multiple controls can be easily mapped to their burners. The associations in WM between the controls and the burners are strong. It is likely after viewing either stovetop once, users would be able to sketch an accurate conceptual model.

Structured design, that is, the grouping of multiple components into a single coherent model, is a powerful design strategy, that not only facilitates usability and increased accuracy, but also memorability.

Fig. 1. The three controls easily map 
to their burners.

Fig. 2. Using a spatial analogy, the five 
electric burners can be easily mapped 
to their controls.