VoIP Phone User-Interface Study

Hello everyone,

I’m an undergraduate Systems Engineering student at the University of Toronto conducting a study on the human-computer interface (HCI) between people and VoIP phones (both traditional phones that plug into a terminal adapter and true VoIP phones commonly used in the corporate world). My study is focusing more on developing a user-interface that is suitable for home VoIP phone users, whether they are currently using terminal adapters or may in the future move to true VoIP phones.

Here’s what I’m looking for and appreciate your feedback on the below items:

– What are the useful user-interface features available on your terminal adapter (if applicable..)

– What are the useful user-interface features available on your VoIP phoneset(only applies to true VoIP phones..)

– What features would you like to see available on your terminal adapter if they are currently not available? These features on the terminal adapter should let you operate the handset more efficiently, effectively and generally make your phone more convenient to use.

– What features would you like to see available on your true VoIP phoneset if they are currently not available? These features on the VoIP phone should let you operate the phone more efficiently, effectively and generally make your phone more convenient to use.

– Would any of the following user-interface features be useful on a true VoIP phone or a terminal adapter?:

1) A small LCD display screen with two-three lines of upto 15 characters each. Please describe what functions the screen would serve and for what type of phone you think they would be suitable for – true VOIP vs. adapter.

2) Audible cues in the phone’s earpiece to indicate the status of the call to the user (ie – a pseudo noisy silence so the user know’s that the line is still active, similar to that on digital cell phones)

3) A large-size LCD display screen (approx 5″ x 3″) placed on either the true VoIP phone or on the adapter. Please describe what functions the screen would serve and for what type of phone – true VOIP vs. adapter.

4) Your suggestions of features that you would like to see implemented in future true VoIP phones for home use. Features should provide the user the ability to use the phone intuitively and comfortably. Features should also keep the user informed of what the phone is doing (ie – whether it has accepted a command, whether there is a problem with the connection).

As the feature-set of VoIP phones increases, it is more and more neccessary to develop a user-friendly interface so that the phones become more widely used for home-use.

Thanks very much for your feedback. If you are further interested in this study, email me at athene_1_1@hotmail.com.

Note: “user-interface” could be many features (display screen, blinking lights, audio, etc) – the project is still in the early stages and so I haven’t settled on anything in particular.

Cheers.