03/04/2008
The quality mark “ausgezeichnet! Universal Design” is conferred on devices characterized by extremely simple operation – an ever more important factor in an increasingly ageing population. Siedle handsfree telephones are among the first to have been certified. The quality mark is conferred by the International Design Center Berlin in cooperation with the German Design Council and TÜV Nord.

The demographic transformation taking place has given a boost to what used to be a slow process of evolution: User convenience and simple, intuitive handling are increasingly becoming a factor for success. The growing generation of over-fifties appreciates products which are self-explanatory and capable of operation without wading through a complicated set of operating instructions.

But good operability is not simply a question of convenience, it can also cover the aspect of security. This applies in full to the Siedle handsfree telephones. As indoor stations belonging to Siedle door intercom systems, they safeguard access to the home. An operating error is enough to allow the front door to be opened before having spoken to the would-be visitor. It can very easily happen particularly when the buttons are too small and difficult to differentiate. This is why Siedle has desisted from following the trend for excessive miniaturization.

Adequately dimensioned monitors and inscription surfaces are easy to read, the buttons correspond to the size of a finger pad and are sufficiently spaced apart. The central call button clearly indicates what its function is: for accepting and ending calls, just like lifting and lowering a telephone receiver. Thanks to its size, it is easy to find and operate, even without glasses, even by the elderly and infirm, and if need be even with an elbow if hands are otherwise occupied.