Enhancing Elevator UX: A Digital Revolution in Vertical Mobility

Have you ever observed how people interact with elevators? Let’s take a mall setting for example. There are multiple lifts, but no one knows which one will come first, so you keep looking around, this leads to impatience, followed by people continuously pressing the call button hoping it will come faster. Well it doesn’t stop there, people then press both the call up and call down buttons as well.

But did you know

1. The lift will take the time it does to reach you, no matter how much you press the button?
2. Pressing the call up “^” button, means the lift will go/take you up and visa versa

While it seems pretty straightforward and a quick fix, nothing has been done about this for over a decade. Why?

• Existing systems are seen as functional and sufficient.
• Limited interaction time reduces the need for innovation.
• Long replacement cycles slow down adoption.
• Advances have focused on mechanical efficiency, IoT, and predictive maintenance, not user interfaces.

However, if these simple issues are looked into, it can make the already overwhelming mall experience a bit smoother.

Now let’s dive a little more in detail to what these issues are, and how they are impacting the overall elevator experience.

Problem 1

Beginning with calling the lift, there is generally an arrow up & an arrow down button. A lot of people are unaware of the functionality of this button with respect to the mechanism of the elevator. They assume pressing either of the buttons is a way to call the lift to them.

Let’s break it down :

You are on the 2nd floor and need to go on the 4th floor.

The lift is on the 5th floor currently.

You need the lift to come to you, so you press the down arrow button.

Assumption : User expects the lift to come to them (which it will) & then take them up to the 4th floor.

Actual Behavior : The lift will come to them but take them to the lower floors instead.

This leads to a longer journey, frustration & for some possible embarrassment.

Our Solution

Under each button, we indicate what the button means, making it easier for the user to decide if they want to go up or down.

Problem 2

Adding to the act of calling the lift. If there is more than 1 lift, generally pressing the buttons in front of any elevator would call the others as well. The problem with this, users don’t know which lift is coming to them and how long it will take to reach them.

Currently, the user gets frustrated with the wait time, and keeps looking around like a lost child, figuring out which elevator is going to come.

In that mindset they end up pressing the button continuously, hoping the lift will reach them faster. Or they will press both the up & down buttons hoping for the same.

Our Solution

First, have a single set of buttons for lifts that are next to each other.

On the screen above the buttons, we show them

1. The wait time for each lift
2. What floor the lift is currently on
3. And if it is currently going up or down

Problem 3

In a mall setting, there will be some times when the elevators are completely filled, and the control panels in the lift are only on one side.

1. Some people could feel claustrophobic
2. Even pressing the elevator button creates some commotion at times

Along with that for accessibility, even though the buttons do have braille, they still do lack some haptic feedback.

Our Solution

To help tackle the claustrophobia, we decided to make the overall appearance of the lift to feel more bright and open.

For this,

1. We added a few led light strips all around,
2. The material of the lift walls a bit whiter &
3. 2 screens to play advertisements and create a fun distraction for the short ride

We then also decided to add panel on both sides of the elevator, reason being when a lift is full and more people are entering, the natural response is to move on one side, this allows scope for another side to be free, hence allowing us to be able to introduce another panel in the lift

To further improve the experience, we designed the buttons to feel more soft but physical at the same time.

Along with that, we added an led indicator around the buttons to indicate how long it would take to reach that floor, followed by a speaker with audio feedback to help users know that they have reached their desired floor.

Final Thoughts: Elevators Designed for the Future

By addressing real-world usability problems, our redesigned elevator interface transforms what was once a frustrating experience into an intuitive, efficient, and accessible journey. With clear labels, real-time status updates, progressive feedback, and dual control panels, we’ve created a system that prioritises user clarity and convenience. The inclusion of interactive panels not only improves usability but also adds value to commercial spaces. This is not just a design update—it’s a fundamental shift in how users interact with elevators, making vertical mobility smarter, smoother, and more engaging for everyone.

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