The terms
ten-foot and
three-meter are used to differentiate this user interface style from those used on desktop computers, which typically assume the user's eyes are only about two feet (60 cm) from the display. This difference in distance from the display has a huge impact on the interface design, requiring the use of larger text and allowing relatively few items to be shown on a television at once. The term
ten-foot user interface is criticised Furthermore, this 10-foot distance does not correspond to the
optimal viewing distance or the
Lechner distance (3.2 H for 1080 HD resolution and 1.6 H for 4K UHD resolution). Nor does it represent the actual distance at which televisions are used. The actual distance is greater than 10 ft in half of all households, but above all it varies greatly between households. The goal of 10-foot user interface design is normally to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible, trying to achieve a more laid-back and relaxed user experience with as few button presses as possible while still having an intuitive layout, in terms of accomplishing user goals—what is often called
user-centered design. Good user interface design facilitates finishing the task at hand without drawing unnecessary attention to itself.
Graphic design may be utilized to support its
usability; however, the design process must balance technical functionality and visual elements (e.g.,
mental model) to create a system that is not only operational but also usable and adaptable to changing user needs. One of the additional feature in 10-foot user interface design is also to repurpose the
on-screen display (OSD) for providing a clear menu-driven interaction for users. This complements the navigation available in most handheld remote controllers. The rise of the use of voice-based input (as found in some remote controllers and
smart speakers) also provides a direct control interface enhancing the user experience. == See also ==