Universal design refers to designing products so that they can be used by as many people as possible. Mitsubishi Electric works to make products that are truly easy to use and easy to live with, by assessing products in terms of whether they facilitate worry-free living, are simple and easy to understand, use displays and expressions that are easy to identify, and incorporate ergonomic considerations.

In fiscal 2008, we gave in-house approval to 12 products, including the first Blu-ray Disc™ recorder in the world to be equipped with an LCD touch panel remote, and an air-conditioner with an easy-to-understand eco-monitor.

We are also working consistently to develop and improve universal designs both for the way products are used and for easier installation and maintenance.

We adopted the world's first LCD touch panel remote based on the concept of how far we could match high performance and high functionality with ease of use. Only those buttons limited to the most common operations feature clear displays with large lettering, enabling users to find the buttons they most want to use quickly. Slightly more complex operations such as video timer settings can be accomplished with ease because the remote shows you how it's done. User surveys targeting the elderly (right-hand graph, 50 people aged 60 and over) show that high marks were given to features such as easy to understand displays, limited button indications, and the ability to confirm that buttons have been pressed through color and sound.

Air conditioner "Operation Monitor" and "UD remote"

We incorporated an easy-to-understand monitor that displays the status of the air conditioner within the main unit. We used our ingenuity to create a universal design remote that features a large display and clearly readable buttons, and is easy to hold.

Jet Towel "Puchi" (Petit)

The main unit is compact to allow it to be installed on the washstand counter. Even people in wheelchairs, the visually impaired and small children can dry their hands as soon as they have washed them, without having to move.

UD-Checker is a tool that can be used by both designers and developers to check for universal design qualities. Target levels can be set for each development model, and the relative achievement of universal design can be quantitatively displayed using four evaluation categories. This makes it easier to identify key development issues and develop specific designs, which in turn helps the efficiency of product development.

In fiscal 2008, we used this evaluation system to make products easier for more people to use, and broadened the scope of applications to the industrial machinery sector, installation and maintenance operations and the like.

UD-Checker Screen

The Mitsubishi Electric Group promotes measures to create user manuals that are easy to read and understand, enabling customers to use products safely and comfortably. Our guidebook for producing user manuals forms the basis of these measures, which is distributed to our domestic subsidiaries responsible for home appliances.

Example of Improvement in User Manuals in Fiscal 2008: LCD TVs

To enable customers to use it comfortably following purchase, we had some of our customers monitor product usability, and based on the results, we made the user manual easier to understand by stating the need for a B-CAS card on the page on "Flow of Preparations for Watching the TV" and displaying the accessories separately according to use.