Boom Box Controls
Consols and Control Panels Archives
October 14, 2006
Keyboard Consol
October 15, 2006
Security Alarm Control Panel
October 16, 2006
Security System Panel
Love the giant A, Z, and Call buttons here.
Motorcycle Dashboard
Look at the minimalist four lights display. Interesting patina on the larger display dials too.
October 17, 2006
Laundromat Dryer Control Panel
Laundromat Washer Control Panel
Not sure how/why some of the bulbs burned through the plastic buttons...
October 20, 2006
Hidden Dishwasher Controls
Only visible by opening the dishwasher.
Motorcycle Parking Meter
Yes, that's me in the reflection. Sigh.
October 24, 2006
Fire Alarm Control Panel
October 26, 2006
Handicapped Elevator Controls
These controls are for someone outside the elevator to control it, not the person inside. Thus the key is necessary to enable this.
November 3, 2006
Unknown Monster Machine Control Panel
Spotted at a construction site at SFO. This is on a large rectangular box the size of a car.
Parking Payment, Toronto Street
Love the "Maximum Time" button, since that's probably what most people do most of the time when parking at a meter.
November 5, 2006
High Fidelity
Delta Air Lines Cockpit. 757?
Be sure to view this photo in Flickr to see all the controls detailed out. Very cool.
Oil Power Plant Control Room
Karlshamn, Sweden
Under Control
Switches that lock down jail cells. West Virginia State Penitentiary, Moundsville, West Virginia.
Toilet Control Panel
Photographer says: "These are the controls of the toilet in a restaurant in Ginza. Most of the toilets in Tokyo are remote-controlled. You can control the strength of the splashing water. I even saw one with a "flushing sound" button."
Old Dials
No idea what this is, but look at how the fixed points of the dial link to (handwritten?) labels via lines.
November 6, 2006
Toaster Oven Control Panel
November 7, 2006
Tech.Know.Logical.023
Rhode & Schwartz dc power supply.
November 9, 2006
Korg Oscilloscope Panel
"Korg EA-1 Mk II analog modeling synthesizer. Portamento is how quickly it changes pitch so you can play it like a piano or make it sound like a siren. The rest is for the two oscilloscopes and the type of each and how they interact with each other (modulation). Also can patch in the audio in, instead of Osc 1."
November 11, 2006
Decaf
Muni Kiosk Display
What does the button marked with the handicapped icon do? And the repeat button? And the numbers below each of the buttons? And the unused buttons? What a mess.
November 13, 2006
November 14, 2006
Digital Thermostat
Coffee Maker Controls
Optional Safety Switch
Top Of Cool Old Radio, Nan's Attic, Heswall 21-10-06
I love the labels on the tuner: Vatican, E. Germany, W. Germany, etc. Note that they indicate a small range, not just a fixed point.
November 20, 2006
Hydrolic Lift Dashboard
Canon 400d Screen and Controls
November 21, 2006
Mixer Knobs
Shower Control Panel
Is there any place left that doesn't have a control panel??
November 26, 2006
Super Pump Panel
Hotel Radio
This interface, since travelers won't know the stations or their frequency in a new city, makes perfect sense.
November 29, 2006
Speed Queen
Love the instructions with cute icons.
Dryer Controls
Interesting there needs to be an "available" light, that the control panel isn't just unlit.
Commander 500
Seen on the back of a welder's truck. This is a "multipurpose, engine-driven welder/generator" for "HEAVY duty welding and arc gouging and can stand up to the toughest job."
November 30, 2006
Solid State 8-Track Stereo
Groovy indeed.
December 3, 2006
Selena Radio
Is it me, or is this display really confusing?
ACD Button
Is this a button or a switch? A switch would make more sense, because you could push it forward for front-wheel drive and back for rear-wheel drive.
KL Aviation Show, Subang Jaya
VW Beetle - Instrument Panel
December 9, 2006
Pay Here
Danger Crushing Hazard
IDT Prepaid Phone Card Machine
"Press Product Button to Begin." Wouldn't "Choose Dollar Amount" (like the other instructions say) be better directions?
Robo Coffee
Also makes tea and hot chocolate ("Choco").
December 20, 2006
Water Dispenser
Does a water dispenser need an interface this complicated?
One Armed Bandit
Smile! You're on night-time camera!
"DEMONSTRATION: View of remote control & camera camera view atop Madison County Emergency Management Agency's Incident Support vehicle. Your tax dollars at work."
Submarine Controls
January 1, 2007
Stove and Oven Control Panel
It's complicated to operate a stove these days.
Frequency Switches
In an air traffic control tower.
Car-Ferry Control Panel
Hotel Room Controls
In an Indian hotel.
January 20, 2007
Light Aircraft Controls
Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II - G-BRBE
Railroad Engineer's Control Station
Fancy Toilet Computer
Mattapan Trolley Controls
Radar Satellite Control Consol
Mitsubishi Jet Bridge Control Panel
Old Fender Amp Dials
January 22, 2007
Maytag Washer Interface
February 4, 2007
Monroe Adding Calculator
Interesting that clear ("enter") buttons are often on the right.
Home Pong Game
The Organ at Heinz Chapel
I love how no part of the organist's body is neglected: all limbs can work at once.
Old Console
At the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
Beer Control
February 21, 2007
2BA Cockpit and Panel
Amazing how stripped down a glider's controls are compared to a jet's.
GVG 200 Control Panel
A video production switcher. I love the "Fail-Safe" feel of this panel, with its differently lit buttons.
Missile Silo Monitoring Station
Check out the Titan Missile diagram. Also: I see a rotary phone dialer, but where is the handset?
March 22, 2007
Airport Gate Controls
Control Room in the Alcatraz Administrative Office
Digital Interface Tester
Any ideas what this is? Neat looking, whatever it is.
Air Traffic Control Station
April 27, 2007
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Helicopter Controls
Wow, complicated. Looks like it takes two to operate.
On-Air Radio Station Controls
Note the placement of the monitors on the side. I'm assuming this is so guests/colleagues are still visible across the desk.
Miele Slimline Dishwasher Controls
The space makes it impossible to have much more than buttons.
CNC Control Panel
No idea what this is. Looks like it is circa 1985.
StrippitTurrentPunch
Used for punching parts out of sheet metal.
Nagoya Washer + Dryer Control Panel
Wow, so complicated.
Old Ship Engine Room Controls
I wonder what the clustering of dials is all about.
Gatherer and Binder
May 6, 2007
1947 Jeep Dashboard
Amazing how little has changed from the basic set in 60 years.
Amtrak Train Car Door Control Console
Seems awfully complicated for what could only have a few states (unlocked, locked, open).
Washing Machine Controls
It's funny that most washing machines don't have a start button (you just pull out the main dial), yet must dryers do, even though they also frequently have one big dial that could be pulled in a similar way.
May 14, 2007
Ford Farlaine Dashboard
Radical SR3 Interior
View the photo in Flickr to see explanations of the configuration.
Subway Controls in Santiago, Chile
Amazing how simple these are.
Hudson Hornet Dashboard
Look how wide it stretches! Awesome typography as well--check out the numbered dials.
Fire Engine Pumper Controls
Love the falling man icon in the middle.
Disney World Monorail Controls
Nearly all digital, except for the giant red stop button.
May 24, 2007
Portable Oxygen Tank Controls
Fire Truck Controls
June 13, 2007
Toyota Auris 2007 Dashboard
A car with modes!
Lawnmowing Tractor Controls
Interesting that the clutch and brake are the same pedal.
Crane Controls
Amazing how simple these are for such a large and powerful object that can be extremely dangerous.
Bridge of the Viking Sun
"That little joystick-wheel is how the captain steers the ship."
June 19, 2007
Refrigerant Management Center
BionX Electric Motor Control Module
August 28, 2007
Atomic Coaster Controls
Hard to tell if the red panel are buttons or a display. Guessing they are for emergency use by the operator in case the coaster is in trouble.
Cluttered Analogue Instrumentation Un-refurbished Class 318 Train
Look at the Flickr photo to see all the notes on this one. Everything is mapped out.
Racking Controls
"The Racks control the amount of light that enters the camera. There is always a racks engineer for every programme you see in television, constantly adjusting the cameras."
Thunderbird Dashboard
Wow, what a funky variation. The knobs (levers?) are under the housing and labels.
Dishwasher Interface
Icons instead of clarity.
Japanese Toilet Control Pad
This is probably the nicest one of these I've seen yet. They are usually overly complicated.
October 4, 2007
Space Mountain Cargo Control Center
Fun to see 1970s scifi UIs.
Piste Basher Cockpit
This is the inside of one of those giant snow groomers. Cool. Looks pretty complicated, with those two joysticks on the right.
Lexus LS600hL with RX400h * Double "h" * Rear-Seat Audio Controls
October 6, 2007
Aircraft Navigation Equipment?
Racal RA-17L
An old navy receiver for short wave.
October 23, 2007
Tram Controls
Nagasaki, Japan
About NIBIT
No Ideas But In Things is a library of controls, animations, layouts, and displays that might be a source of inspiration for interaction designers. Dan Saffer is the curator.
The title comes from a William Carlos Williams poem.
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