I use the word “wrong” in quotes as it is my opinion. Nevertheless, this has been annoying me as I can’t get used to it. Here is the image from the instructions on using the Form Wash. I have the V2. The same issue applies to my Form Cure V2.
What it doesn’t tell you is that to make the selection highlight go down, you have to rotate clockwise. Why is this annoying? Because when turning clockwise, the circumference of the knob, and the fingers gripping it, are moving UP on the side that the display sits. Here is a graphic example.
I am not a UI designer but this just seems so unintuitive. It would work if the knob was on the left side of the display. But I imagine it is easier to change the direction in software. Perhaps let us choose in the settings, if I’m such an outlier in this department. I’d rather have this over dark mode in Preform, if that’s any guide to my UI priorities.
I expect the original decision could have been based on threads turning rotational motion into linear motion and “lefty loosy, righty tighty” being translated into clockwise means down, which on a bottle top or screw, it does. But a bottle and screw axis of rotation and axis of linear travel are the same, whereas with an encoder-actuated display on a front panel, like this, the axis of selection highlight travel is at right angles to the axis of encoder rotation. So the mental model just doesn’t translate from one to the other.
For completeness, here’s how I think it makes sense and why I would like the knob to move the selection highlight in the opposite direction to how it currently does.
Thanks for being interested in your customers’ feedback.