Although our original vision for Lucid Spec was focused on software user interfaces, I keep thinking about other applications, such as designing user interfaces for non-software products. Actually, it might be more accurate to say "for products that aren't software-only", since software is a key part of many physical products - think of cell phones, video players & recorders, televisions, etc.
VCR interface design is a bit odd - the front panel of the VCR usually has only a few controls, while the remote control usually has many more controls, and the front panel usually has a small, limited display, while almost anything can be displayed on the TV monitor. (Interestingly, our 15-year-old VCR finally died, and the new VCR/DVD replacement has
no display - I miss the clock and timer - and many more front panel controls.)
Periodically I work on a VCR design in Lucid Spec. I use a template screen with crude drawings of three physical devices - a VCR, a remote, and the television monitor - and widgets for the various controls on each device. The big challenge so far is that a specific physical control tends to be modal - it performs different functions depending on some internal state of the system. For example, if the tape is stopped, the fast forward button causes it to advance very quickly without displaying anything, but if the tape is already playing, the same button causes it to play more quickly, or even to speed up.
I've thought about designing a cell phone in Lucid Spec, but that would be even worse - a typical cell phone has around 20 buttons to handle photos, calendar, contacts, phone settings, text messaging, and even phone calls...
