Design & Manufacturing.

Electronics for Display & Interaction.

Designing circuit boards for bespoke display, interation, feedback and control.

One of the most important aspects of any new product is how users interact with it. Displays improve user experience by offering immediate feedback and allowing more complex controls compared to simple buttons or sounds. At Winter & Smith, we have 50 years of experience designing user interfaces with solutions to suit every application and budget!

Colour TFT display solutions

Need visuals that wow? TFT displays offer rich colour, sharp detail, and touchscreen capabilities, making them perfect for high-impact control systems and sleek modern interfaces.

What we’ve built…

  • Diamond die regrinder – We revived a decades-old industrial machine with a bright 10.1″ touchscreen, making the complex process of regrinding diamond wire dies intuitive and efficient

  • Undersea cable repair system – For a mission-critical cable sealing unit used in tidal waters, we delivered a rugged 10.1″ TFT display system to control the heating process and ensure safe, sealed joins

  • Pleasure text cube – Designed for a niche audience, this 4″ TFT display sat inside a glowing cube that displayed live messages and triggered remote accessories, making interaction personal, playful, and high-tech

Monochrome graphical LCD displays

When space is tight but clarity is key, monochrome LCDs strike the perfect balance. These displays are compact, efficient, and perfect for simple graphics, icons, or data plots. Choose between backlit LCD (where black and white pixels are illuminated from behind) and O-LED displays which have a grid of LED pixels, illuminating when required.

What we’ve built…

  • Fire sprinkler monitoring – A small, high-contrast OLED kept facility managers updated on sprinkler status in real-time across sprawling sites

  • Medical respiratory monitoring device – This portable tool tracked patients’ breathing power and showed it in graph form on a backlit LCD, clear visuals with minimal power draw

Alphanumeric displays

Sometimes, all you need is text, and alphanumeric displays get the job done without fuss. They’re reliable, affordable, and still offer plenty of flexibility.

What we’ve built…

  • The hotbox – Designed to test potato quality before mass cooking, the system runs the product through an environmental cycle that causes any internal bruising on the potato to appear very quickly.  A green O-LED alphanumeric display was chosen, to match our clients green and yellow colour scheme.

  • Clock controller – With just three buttons and a 16×2 LCD, users could easily set the time and position external clock hands, simple, smart, and effectiv

 

Adding speech/audio to your product

Screens aren’t always the answer. In some cases, spoken feedback is clearer, faster, or simply more practical. We’ve developed audio-enabled systems that talk directly to the user, saving time, simplifying workflows, and enhancing interaction.

What we’ve built…

  • Laser tag equipment – From realistic gun sounds to zombie groans and tactical audio prompts, we’ve integrated rich sound design into our range of laser tag gear, making every game immersive and responsive
  • Void property alarm system – Designed to protect vacant buildings, this system used wireless PIRs and smoke alarms. Traditionally, setup required two installers, one to walk the site, one at the control panel. We solved that with speech feedback: once a sensor was triggered and learned by the panel, it announced confirmation and serial number, no second person needed!

Using interactive LEDs

Not every product needs a screen. Sometimes, simple visual cues using LEDs are the most effective way to communicate with users, drawing attention, guiding decisions, or providing instant feedback.

What we’ve built…

  • The gamebox – This laser tag accessory used programmable RGB LEDs to indicate perks, traps, or respawn zones. Thanks to internal jumper switches, each unit could change colour and function on demand, with just one circuit board design

  • AMG noise monitor – Built for the AMG F1 engine factory, this system used a panel of RGB LEDs to monitor up to 30 wireless noise sensors. At a glance, operators could tell which sensors were active, triggered, idle, or powered down, crucial for managing sensitive environments

 

In-house interactive PCB development

Unlike other companies that outsource their PCB manufacturing, Winter & Smith designs and builds PCBs in-house.

  • Tailored to you – We can create custom PCBs specifically for your needs, ensuring that all components and connections are optimised for integration and long-term performance.

  • Higher quality – By controlling the entire production process, we ensure that every board meets high-quality standards

  • Faster problem solving – If an issue arises, we can quickly modify and produce updated PCBs without waiting for external suppliers, getting your systems back up and running

Click and drag to interact with our 3D CAD PCB board

Past projects