Favorite Control Interface Style

[Vger23]

I find the design elements of Starfleet’s interiors to be absolutely fascinating and I think they are all really cool. If you were to rate your favorite style of control interface aboard Starfleet ships, what would you choose as your favorite?

TOS: gumdrops, switches, and buttons:

TOS movies: jewels and Colegrams

TOS movie Okudagrams

TNG era Okudagrams

Kelvinverse iStore Style

DSC era ultra modern look:

 

[1001001]

This is a great topic for Trek Tech.

Moving now.

 

[DEWLine]

I've noticed two distinct styles in Kelvinverse Starfleet user interface design: the first two movies are very distinct from Beyond. In Beyond, they went more for legibility, closer to "classic Okudagram".

 

[publiusr]

I might mix them. If I had to make a bridge…I’d put a hooded CRT for the science station, projectors behind upper screens…and gut as many small display screens as I could salvage from old phones…little things that flip out…NORAD tech for weapons that need keys and button covers…QUERTY keyboards that stow under the consoles that can flip out….a little bit of everything.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I don't want one style to dominate, I want a "Mish-Mash" of different interfaces based on what's optimum for certain tasks.

There is no "One interface to rule them all".

That's a false notion, there are optimum controls for certain tasks, and you should use those controls for that purpose.

Different species and different people will have preferences for certain types of controls as well.

So trying to force one predominent way of control for everybody is a fool's errand and just trying to force a "Average to Mediocre" solution when StarFleet has shown they can customize as needed to make things work.

 

[blssdwlf]

@Vger23 - any chance of adding the Strange New Worlds style as a choice? It is a good combo of TOS physical control and modern touch screens, IMHO.

 

[fireproof78]

Kelvinverse iStore Style

DSC era ultra modern look:

A mix between these two.

 

[Vger23]

@Vger23 - any chance of adding the Strange New Worlds style as a choice? It is a good combo of TOS physical control and modern touch screens, IMHO.

I purposefully left it off, but I can add it if you like! It is admittedly a cool design.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

For me its a toss up between the Okudagrams from TFF/TUC (love the colour palette and the mix of buttons/touchscreen) and DS9 (love the more organic look of the Cardassian displays).

 

[Birb-of-Prey]

I've always liked the later TOS Movie aesthetic.

 

[Tallguy]

TMP is my dream bridge but you just can't beat Okuda's Unidscovered Country look. Then TOS. Honorable mention for SNW.

 

[Macintosh]

The cleanness, circular motifs, and cooler colour scheme of the Star Trek V/Star Trek VI-era okudagrams are my favourite, much as I love the TNG era generally.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I imagine just as we can customize aspects of our experience on a website today, so starships would allow users to save and change their interface preferences. They certainly would be customizable for accessibility reasons, such as colorblindness, nearsightedness of some races, language choice, if they preferred their own, etc

 

[publiusr]

I like the haptics of switches, levers and such:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90780466/cars-need-their-buttons-and-knobs-back

Tom Paris was right:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34287800

Phaser controls should have a slide over them…photon torpedoes should have this:
https://www.amazon.com/Flip-Guard-30mm-Push-Buttons/dp/B00HY16Z34

Real NORAD looking stuff…at least for TMP—TUC.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Tom Paris was right:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34287800

Many of us knew this all along, Buttons & Physical Controls have it's place.

Touch Pad has it's place.

There is no "One Interface to Rule them All".

Every single one has it's own PRO(s) & CON(s).

Time to use them smartly, not just default to one style.

Phaser controls should have a slide over them…photon torpedoes should have this:
https://www.amazon.com/Flip-Guard-30mm-Push-Buttons/dp/B00HY16Z34

I concur, especially since they're a high value, limited ammunition (On Hand anyways) consummable

Torpedoes / Missiles aren't the weapons you want to spam, they're what you use to finish off a target or hit multiple targets or hit a High Value Target.

Not something blatently wasted like paint balls or airsoft pellets.

 

[blssdwlf]

I concur, especially since they're a high value, limited ammunition (On Hand anyways) consummable

Torpedoes / Missiles aren't the weapons you want to spam, they're what you use to finish off a target or hit multiple targets or hit a High Value Target.

Not something blatently wasted like paint balls or airsoft pellets.

Or fired by accident because an alien butt sat on the panel. (Looking at you ST: Prodigy.)

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Or fired by accident because an alien butt sat on the panel. (Looking at you ST: Prodigy.)

That's what happens when inexperienced children take a StarFleet StarShip on a joy ride.

 

[Henoch]

I voted for the TOS control panels because they generate the biggest explosions.

 

[fireproof78]

Or fired by accident because an alien butt sat on the panel. (Looking at you ST: Prodigy.)

That is a hazard in TNG too was easily fired weapons. Lwaxana almost fired the torpedoes as well when Worf was showing her his tactical station.

Personal favorite goes to Picard asking for all available power, even from life support if necessary, and Worf presses one or two buttons and says "Done." Seems like life support power diversion should at least be a three button push operation...

 

[F. King Daniel]

I love those swirly Kelvinverse graphics. It looks like shitloads of multilayered information being spammed in every screen. Ditto the Disco/SNW graphics (albeit with less flair)

LCARS is hugely overrated, IMHO. It's like touchscreen DOS, our devices today are FAR in advance of what it does. Awesome for it's time and a unique look, but a thing of the past.