Although the lecture halls at TU Wien are equipped with modern media technology, control via touch panel has been inconsistent, technically complex, and often difficult to understand for lecturers. The various room-setups (projectors, screens, cameras, lighting, audio) have led to uncertainty and made standardisation necessary.

Control panel interface with input options such as HDMI, VGA, document camera and room-to-room. The ‘Power’ and ‘Freeze’ functions are visible.
Control panel interface for a camera. Featuring directional buttons, input options and a display window showing a blank screen.
User interface for LectureTube. Features include stream control, input options and recording information.
The user interface screen displays three options for the video layout: full screen, picture-in-picture and split screen.

Solution

We designed a new, consistent interface for the touch panels, focusing on: 

  • Consistency: identical layout in all lecture halls
  • User orientation: aligned with lecturers' workflows
  • Comprehensibility: simple language, clear icons and self-explanatory presets.
  • Recognition: visual connection to the TU identity
  • Aesthetics: modern, visually appealing interface
Interface for a seminar room control system. With menu options such as ‘Home’, ‘Projector’ and ‘Audio’. Displays the recording status as ‘In progress’ and the streaming status as ‘Inactive’.

Approach

During the project, we adopted a user-centred approach. Firstly, lecturers were involved through interviews and observations of their everyday use of the lecture hall, in order to understand their workflows and needs. Based on this, we designed early wireframes and prototypes in Figma, which were tested and refined through multiple iterations. Throughout multiple stages of testing, feedback regarding navigation, comprehensibility and workflows was systematically collected: first with a clickable prototype and later with the fully programmed touch panel. Alongside this, we created an extensive style guide and design guidelines so that the final concept could be seamlessly handed over to the development team.

 

A diagram showing the sitemap.

Result

The new touch panel allows lecturers to control all the functions for their lecture with just a few clicks – from the camera and streaming to audio, lighting and blinds. Thanks to its clear structure and intuitive wording, users feel more confident and can begin their lectures without encountering any technical hurdles.

The visualisations shown are based on the original design concept. The currently implemented version has been functionally adapted to meet technical and system requirements and has been implemented in a simplified form in certain areas. As a result, certain interactions and UX aspects may differ from the designs shown.

The TU-wide rollout is planned for summer 2026.

Overview screen of a presentation control panel showing a project preview and settings for the projector and camera.
Control panel interface displaying the projector settings with the USB-C input selected. The options include various input sources.
Interface for a camera control system; buttons for camera angles and recording status are visible.
Dashboard interface for controlling lighting. Various lighting settings can be adjusted, including presets.

Impact

  • Fewer technical hurdles for lectures
  • Quicker start to lectures (fewer clicks, less uncertainty)
  • University-wide consistency
  • Future-proof design through a modular structure for various room setups

Further learnings & results