As the lead ATM interface designer for two of the largest banks in the United States over the past 5 years, I have spent an extensive amount of time designing, studying, and researching touchscreen interfaces for ATM and other kiosk-type interfaces.

It has been a fascinating and exciting time for me. As a designer, it is gratifying to work on products that are used by so many people. In my case, the products I’ve worked on are used literally hundreds of millions of times a year.

ATMs are not the most glamorous of touchscreen devices, lacking the gadget-factor of products like the recently introduced iPhone, or of other handheld devices like Nintendo DS or certain Palm-style PDAs. Even certain touchscreen-based devices like in-car navigation systems have a cool-factor that in-store machines - like ATMs and other kiosks - will never have.
Aside from handheld and automotive touchscreens, the world of touchscreen kiosks is everywhere, and it is expanding. Here is a brief list of touchscreen kiosks that we are now familiar with in our everyday lives:

• Post Office assist
• Airline check-in
• Public transit ticket vending
• Jukeboxes
• Casino/Gaming
• Retail (product locators, price-checkers, bridal registries)
• Fast Food ordering
• Hotel check-in
• Voting machines

Unlike every item on this list, ATMs have been in widespread use since the early 1980s. ATMs are so familiar, people wonder ‘what is left to design?’ Many people, when first told of my occupation, seem stunned that the venerable olde ATM would even require a full-time designer, much less a team of them. In fact, like all other aspects of modern banking, ATMs are in a constant state of evolution.

New functionality - like customization of language preference, receipt printing options, account information display; new technology like check-image scanning; and new revenue sources like payday advance, ‘convenient’ overdrafts, - and other fee-based product offerings all combine to create the need for a constantly-evolving design. And the highly competitive world of banking creates the competitive environment where good ATM customer experience is part of a competitive advantage. Besides new functions, we face a labyrinths of evolving legal requirements and of course internal demands for screen time and real estate devoted to cross-selling other bank products. Not to be forgotten is our desire to offer streamlined, fast experiences to our customers.

Taken together, these demands mean an ever-evolving sea of interface changes, and the interaction, graphic, and interface design changes to enable them.

I’ve established this blog as a place to examine touchscreen interfaces – kiosk, handheld, or automotive. As a rapidly expanding presence in our everyday lives, touchscreen design is a medium worth scrutinizing. Mostly, I would like to highlight the best touchscreen designs out there, taking a look at novel and successful visual designs and interaction models.

Since many kiosks are run in local or regional deployment, that means I’ll be asking for input from my readers, and anyone out there who would like to share a good touchscreen design that they created or used.

Also, I will be taking a look at touchscreen design mistakes, discussing good practice in kiosk design, and exploring some of the techniques and processes I use to develop the products I work on.

As a designer, I am interested in a wide spectrum of design: automotive, industrial, interactive, web, packaging, and many others. With the prevalence of touchscreens in the world today, it is time for a forum to celebrate the best of the breed, and spread knowledge and appreciation of the great addition kiosks are in our world today.