Handheld barcode Scanners
Barcodes are used at checkouts, on showroom floors, in trucks, and throughout large warehouses. Each barcode scanner needs to be designed to fit in and last in its environment.
I worked on a broad range of barcode scanners, each with their own unique set of needs. I was involved in these projects from initial research to final production parts, solving problems that ranged from increasing drop specs to simplifying setup instructions.
This scanner has probably run your credit card on a JetBlue flight or scanned your ticket at the Museum of Modern Art.
We designed the MC50 to be a presentable mobile computer for managers and sales professionals. It needed to be lightweight and small enough to fit in the pocket of your button up shirt but powerful enough to run enterprise level applications.
The MC50 was made to look like the consumer PDAs of the time, but with enterprise level durability. It needed to hold up to high volume daily use while still looking professional on a sales floor or at a customer site. We worked hard to get the size of this mobile computer down to something compact while still making room for a barcode scanner, camera, full keyboard, phone capabilities, a stylus, and much more.
A beautiful and popular countertop scanner, cost reduced for use at your local mom and pop shop.
This ergonomic scanner was designed to be lightweight and balanced in your hand. It needed to be comfortable enough to be used all day without fatigue and reliable enough to consistently scan barcodes on items of any shape or size.
This was a cost reduced version of a successful scanner. To achieve a price point accessible to small business owners, I removed the rubber from the back foot replacing it with an in-mold texture, created an inlaid logo that removed the need for a sticker, and redesigned the trigger to include the led in the same plastic part.
All of these changes were done while respecting the overall shape of the scanner so it could be used with existing accessories, such as its existing charger and stand.
Usability extends to even the smallest feature. For barcode scanners that includes scan buttons so identifiable that they can even be found by touch alone.
These scanners were all designed to be used reliably all day, every day. Beyond the drop specs and the ergonomics, these scanners also needed to be easily set up and easy to use. Considerations needed to be made for the angle of the scanners, the ease of use pushing the scan buttons, and screens that would be legible in all lighting conditions. They also needed to drop easily into their chargers, clearly indicate when they are charged, and include batteries that would last whole shifts.
