We rented a house with a hot tub. The hot tub had a remote control. Why do I hate remote controls? Because I can’t figure out how to use them most of the time. Well, we couldn’t get the hot tub to work. Then we couldn’t figure out how to turn the gas fireplace on.
I’m in the shower and I can’t figure out which bottle is shampoo and which is conditioner – they look the same. Don’t they know that people with less than perfect eyesight wash their hair, too? And we don’t wear our glasses in the shower! Why can’t they put a 4″ tall S on one bottle and a big C on the other?
I buy a new SUV. The designers surely were geniuses – look at this thing – they must be very proud. The problem is I am not as genius as they are. I need to attend a training retreat to operate my car. For the life of me I can’t figure out how to set the cruise control! And the mirrors fold in from time to time with no explanation, and I have to stop and concentrate to figure out how to fold them out again. Do I even need the mirrors to fold in? It came with the car, I didn’t ask for it. I got along fine without them in my 1969 Buick Skylark! And when I’m in reverse the back-up camera comes on the screen (fine) but the music (audiobook) I had on last starts playing automatically and I can’t stop it until I am out of reverse. Why did it start automatically – I didn’t ask it to. Etc, etc. This is a GM vehicle, and I have two others around that are also new-ish ones – why are the controls different in each of them? Why do I have to relearn where things are each time? Why are they torturing me?
I get my propane or oil delivery and they give me this bill-that-is-also-an-envelope paper contraption. Tear here, don’t tear here, detach this and insert there, and fold on this other line and read the directions to seal it. Whattt? I just want a bill and an envelope! I’m not a dummy – just human!
If you need to read directions, that means a first time user, a guest, a renter, a friend – can’t just walk up to your product and use it. This frustrates people and disqualifies many potential customers from doing business with you.
I love innovation. But we must be careful we aren’t trying to be too clever and show how smart we are. First, things need to be VERY USABLE.
Are your products/services/website/communications intuitive and easy to use?
What is intuitive to some is quantam physics to others.
Love the rant, you go Lar! ?
Great rant. Had a good laugh. All true. It’s a miracle there haven’t been more automobile accidents while driver’s fumble with all the technology in new cars. Talk about distracted driving!!
Very funny so VERY true . Life is not for dummies anymore. Like my cell phone .Changes always and no directions.
I like simple
I enjoy reading you every day when I get to work. Thank you! …So, I bought a car this weekend. This essay hit me on so many levels!! …And don’t even get me started on home theatre and stereo equipment that is all black plastic with microscopic black lettering on the rear panels where you have to plug in about 40 plugs and wires and cables, usually hanging upside down from above, into the back of a dark cabinet…
Good Design should be for and about the user experience!
I agree wholeheartedly with your observations this morning. I’ve spend most of my career in design related functions and we always had to think about the end user. — Where is he/she coming from and what’s the environment where they will be working with this ‘new’ equipment? It makes a lot of sense to have involvement with end users up front in the design. Also, from a practical perspective, have the new guys work alongside the users for a while before letting them loose to come up with a design on their own. This approach helps to minimize end user frustrations. Technology is great, if it works with us.
And simplicity rules in writing
You can run a test online to see what “grade level” your writing is approximately, and I do this from time to time to keep it at 9th or 10th grade level for blogging, and bloggers I work with.
Keep it simple sweetie.
Larry, amen brother on your comment today. We have gotten to the point that products are designed with so many features and yet most of us never use them because we like the simplicity of things.
That is why I deliver my invoices by slipping them under the door. lol 🙂
Actually i read more code books, manuals, directions than anything else. I kind of enjoy it! am I weird or what? I love figuring things out that others thought of and often wonder who wrote this laungauge and who could understand them if they did read them?
I thought I was the only one…
I have had the pleasure of using one of the GM vehicles we have here that we use for dealer visits.
I was driving 65 miles an hour and for no reason at all the mirrors folded in, it was at night so I wasn’t immediately aware that it happened. There are integrated lights in the mirrors such as turn indicators, I call them blinkers…
So I was driving along and wanted to change lanes, you know how you kind of get in a bit of a trance on a long leg of a drive…
I look into the side view mirror and I don’t quite know what I am seeing…Well, when I turned on the turn indicator (Blinker) it was flashing directly through the drivers window, it lit up the interior of the vehicle in flashes…my heart stopped, I thought we were a millisecond away from a high speed crash.
I now take my own vehicle on dealer visits as often as possibly can, it’s a 2004 SUV with 275,000 miles, it’s simple and familiar and it even has a cassette player.
As far as the shampoo goes…I just wear my cheaters into the shower when I travel. Lol
The first part of this post made me laugh because I realized you are human!
Simple over fancy anytime.