Well if going for a more featured model first I'd pull some of those cycles on the main knob and put them on a separate seelctor switch. I'd also have a speed switch that provides fast/fast, slow/fast, slow/slow and fast/slow. An extra rinse option next to it. Agitation time would be determined by the selected cycle/soil on the cycle/soil knob. For example heavy would give 14 minutes, normal would give 10 minutes wash 4 minutes soak and delicate would give 6 minutes wash with 8 minutes of soak.
I like havong a whole auto cycle pre-soak, pre-wash, wash, rinse, extra rinse in a full revolution. Instead of having 4 or more separate divisions ie soak/prewash; normal with extra rinse; permanent press and delicate with "off" between each portion.
The timer might be continuous advance due to needing to pulse the water valves 10 seconds on 15 seconds off during the spray rinse. Yes this can and has been typically done with an incremental advance timer however I personally do not approve of it as there is more to go wrong due to greater complexity behind it.