Segment Displays - Still Popular Relics of a Bygone Era?
A segmented display is an area comprised of shaped elements that can independently turn on or off, allowing for various shapes to be shown. The most common type is the 7-segment display, which emerged in the 1970s for displaying numbers and is still prevalent around us today, more than most people realize. The 7-segment design has actually been invented multiple times by different inventors, similar to the invention of the wheel as a logical solution to a problem. One of the earliest known documents is a patent by Carl Kingsley from 1903, which is one of various patents from that time that used segments to enhance telegraphic speeds. Interestingly, the patent focuses more on mechanics rather than the segmented design itself being mentioned. Science refers to this design as the double square, which is not capable of displaying numbers perfectly. In fact, there are compromises all around, yet most people are so accustomed to it that it appears normal. Today, while sometimes used for aesthetics, it was initially created due to technical limitations. Composed of seven straight lines that could even be of equal length, it is suitable for the most rudimentary devices. However, in most cases, segments can have different shapes, which is where design considerations come into play. By tweaking designs, like chopping off corners or rounding the segments, improvements can be made without compromising the original intent, allowing for greater appeal. A problem with thicker segments is the increased gap between the vertical lines. Though one could close the gap, it often results in changes to the appearance of other numbers. Concisely, this common design may have an impact on readability and aesthetic appeal. Posy encourages viewers to consider these aspects when evaluating segmented display designs. In the video, he presents several iterations of his own designs, named Sports and Seamless, showcasing how modifications can lead to a seamless appearance in digital displays. However, achieving a flawless design is often met with challenges. For instance, while the nine-segment display of Seamless improves alignment, it might not be appropriate for all applications like timepieces. Posy discusses further creative options, such as a 'Double Bubble' design that replaces the double square with a double circle, showcasing various displays that can be found. Interestingly, Posy reflects on earlier patents from the late 1900s, where similar designs were proposed, revealing that advancement often comes with historical foundations. He also explores alternative segment designs, leading to the creation of the 13-segment and the more complex 35-segment displays. The ongoing evolution of these designs and their varying functionalities demonstrate that even in this digital age, innovation continues to be steeped in historical context. As of the time of writing, the video has garnered 6,193,471 views and 241,605 likes, emphasizing its popularity and engagement.
Toggle timeline summary
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Introduction to segmented displays, focusing on their ability to display various shapes.
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Overview of the 7-segment display, its invention, and historical context.
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Discussion of the earliest patent for segmented displays by Carl Kingsley.
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Explanation of the double square design and its limitations.
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Segment manipulation to enhance aesthetics and optimize numbers.
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Thicker segments and their impact on design, particularly in reflective LCDs.
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Common practices in font design for segmented displays.
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Introduction of a personal design called 'Sports' for small displays.
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Presentation of a nine-segment design named 'Seamless'.
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Challenges in displaying certain numbers correctly on segment displays.
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Discussion of adding diagonal segments to enhance display numbers.
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Introduction to a fake matrix display and its characteristics.
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Exploration of alternative designs to the double square, including unique segments.
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Innovative design 'Freeform' presented, with a focus on its aesthetics.
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Introduction to the 'XO' design as an alternative to the 14-segment display.
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Evaluation of different segment designs for optimal text display.
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Reflection on the limitations of design creativity in segmented displays.
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Closing remarks and encouragement to explore links to designs and music.
Transcription
A segmented display is an area with shaped elements that can turn on or off independently, which allows it to display various shapes. The most common one is the 7-segment display, which started to appear in the 70s to display numbers and is still all around us today, more than you may realize. The 7-segment design has actually been invented several times by different people. It's like the invention of the wheel, the most logical solution to a problem. The earliest known document is this patent from Carl Kingsley, filed in 1903. It's one of several patents of the era that used segments to increase telegraph speeds. The patent focuses on the mechanics, the segmented design is hardly mentioned. But who knows, perhaps someone designed it before digits even existed, by dropping some sticks, for example. Scientists call this design the double square. The double square is not truly capable of displaying numbers exactly right. In fact, there are compromises all over the place. But most people are so used to it that it looks normal. Today it's sometimes used for aesthetic reasons, while it was invented for technical limitations. Since it's built from seven straight lines that can even be of equal length, it's suitable for even the most rudimentary device. But in most cases, the segments could have a shape and thus be designed. For example, by chopping the corners. And often the divisions are not symmetrical to optimize the look of numbers, which gets more important when increasing the segment's thickness. Very thick segments we find mostly on reflective LCDs, like watches. A third common tweak is rounding the corners, which makes it look less 80s. A problem with thicker segments is that the gap between the vertical lines increases. You could of course close the gap, but at the cost of the look of other numbers. Closing the gap is usually done on both sides. However, this by far is the most common design. Shearing the font, making it italic, is also almost always done. And in many designs, the top half is a bit shorter. The space between the segments is a technical limitation and of big influence on the final look. But designing doesn't stop here. In this design, I moved the left two cuts away from the corners. And I also rounded the inside. I named this design Sports. Now most segmented designs are meant to be seen on a tiny display, like this watch. Viewing this on a big screen might be a bit bewildering. However, I do encourage you to watch this on a big screen instead of your phone. But it might help to show a real world simulation. Yeah, I'm quite happy with this design. Let's do some more. This is a nine segment version of what I call Sports Black. By adding two middle segments, there is no gap in the vertical lines. A nine segment double square is rare, but exists. I've named this design Seamless. By aligning slices in the verticals to the middle segment, all numbers become seamless, except the two. So for a timepiece, it would not be suitable, since the two is in six hours of a 24 hour clock. But for a calculator, I think it would be quite cool. On a double square seven segment display, you cannot see if the two and five are upside down. And even with normal text, the same counts for the six and nine. For certain appliances, this is a problem. Even with this design, you have to know the font to see it's upside down. The best solution is to just add a line. I call this one Double Bubble. Instead of a double square, it's a double circle. In this case, I think it's cool to display the zero like this. Nice, but perhaps not on a G-Shock. In my puberty around 1996, I thought I had a breakthrough by using two more diagonal segments to improve the numbers. I even made a mock-up watch where I used this nine segment design. But what do you know? A patent filed in 1908 by Frank W. Wood already had a similar diagonal segment. And by now, it even has a Wikipedia page. Adding these two segments is also not without compromise. But for thinner backlit displays, it might have been a nice upgrade. This is a fake matrix display, sometimes seen on watches or old stereo sets. On a LCD, a segment can be easily divided without extra costs. Here you see color-coded the actual seven segments. A real 5x7 matrix can display numbers much more accurate. But this is actually an 18-segment fake matrix. Before we continue, here's a little intermezzo with other creative designs that I found on the internet. Alright, let's talk about alternatives to the double square. This remarkable design was found on early Sharp calculators. It looks a lot like handwriting, but the zero is half the height. It has nine segments, but it also has an 8-segment and 7-segment version. In which case, the two vertical lines are a single segment. It was used on a fluorescent display. For a reflective LCD, the font is too thin. But a bold version actually works quite well. It's a nice experiment to try and come up with an alternative to the double square. I kept ending up with something worse while seeing the double square reappear as I tried to improve it. It feels like a mathematical law. However, I came up with this 6-segment design that I call X. The 1, 4 and 0 are compromised. But other numbers look better, I think. A nice extra is that it can show an X and Y. This is a 7-segment version. By adding an extra middle segment, all numbers are now seamless. This alternative X design allows an extra segment on the right for a better 1. By adding an 8-segment on the left, you can also improve the 0. And actually display the entire alphabet. And of course, this concept also already existed, somewhere in the 70s. This design with 6 segments I named Freeform. First I didn't realize, but it's again based on the X concept. Making it big like this, it looks quite cool. But how would it look in the real world? Well, what do you think? It doesn't fit the watch design. The double square might have had quite an impact on the edgy designs of the 80s. By the way, it turns out, again, someone beat me to it. Including various other creative designs. Displaying the 10 digits with less than 6 segments is near impossible. It can be done, but the readability suffers greatly. So it cannot really be done. At this point, you might as well use entirely different shapes, with a label on how to read it. But using more segments is of course always an option. Take for example my no-compromise 35-segment design. Reminiscent of the complex segmented displays that were on certain trains and metros in Europe. This 13-segment display I call XO. It's meant as alternative to the 14-segment double square. They cannot be bold, which makes it unsuitable for reflective LCDs. But XO is designed bold, and all letters and numbers are practically seamless. However, again, not exactly without compromises. It only works well if the segment separation can be very tight. This lighter 15-segment version allows more flexibility for certain letters and symbols. I think this could have looked cool on a car radio in the 90s. What do you prefer for text? The 14-segment double square? My 13-segment XO? Or a 15-segment 3x5 matrix? It has by far the most possibilities. But for some reason I don't know any device that used a 3x5 matrix. But let's not get into matrix displays now. Perhaps next time. Because the next video is probably about this rare unicorn of a stereo set from the late 90s, which happens to have a matrix display. I end this video with the mild disappointment that I could not come up with anything better than the double square. In the description is a link to all my designs. And a link to my new album, Segmented Segments. Well, thanks for watching, and I hope to see you soon on this channel about everything and nothing.