Designing Point-of-Sale Systems
Guest Contribution
While point-of-sale (POS) systems belong to a unique software niche, they also display a surprising degree of variety. Like most old software, POS systems may have originated in the garages of small software innovators or established industry manufacturers. However, recently, POS systems have started transitioning into the realm of Web-based applications and mobile apps. This trend poses challenges to user-interface designers, who must be aware of how the design of POS systems differs from the design of other Web and mobile apps.
The Evolving World of POS Design
In bricks-and-mortar stores, cashiers use point-of-sale systems software, which functions as a digital cash register. Historically, POS systems have resembled embedded software systems because they rely on custom hardware. Plus, the contexts in which POS systems are used are professional settings, and they may receive heavy use by trained operators. However, the reality is more nuanced: many POS operators get little training because the turnover of staff is so high that they don’t have time to develop the mastery that is necessary to operate traditional embedded systems. Today, most new POS systems work either on a mobile phone or a tablet with a touchscreen, so gestural design patterns are making their way into the world of POS user interfaces. Read More
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