ArticlesTwo user interfaces…
Two single-purpose embedded devices…
Two simple tasks intended to be achievable by naive users…
Two devices that have been built for many years, with little feature innovation, so there’s plenty of engineering experience…
Two usability disasters that shouldn’t be seen outside a museum in 2007…
The scene of the first: a local ATM machine outside a Bendigo Bank. I tried to withdraw $150, but I failed to remember that the machine, which only dispenses $20 and $50 notes, requires to me enter the amount to be withdrawn in cents. I accidentally entered $1.50, it displayed this dialog box.
No, I don’t want to continue with the current transaction to withdraw $1.50. But, wait, yes I want to continue with the current transaction, I just want to correct the amount. No, wait, that’s a different transaction. Errr…
The scene of the second: A no-frills front-loading washing machine that I have owned for a several years now, but have never blogged about.
What steps would you take to initiate a standard wash cycle?
Here are some hints that you might not get from the photo.
The serrated circle near the middle, and the ellipse near the right, pop out when you push them. They are retractable knobs. (I sometimes wonder who finds retractable knobs useful on a washing machine. Is there a button somewhere that makes the whole machine fold up flat, so it can be neatly put away in a kitchen drawer, or taken with you on vacation?)
The serrated-circle knob controls the temperature of the water, which is made clearer by the markings on the edge of the knob (not visible in this photo.)
Now, try to imagine how long it took me to work out that the machine had been delivered with the right-most knob fitted incorrectly. It was put on upside-down, making all the markings wrong by 180°. My clothes were often put through the “curtain” cycle until I figured it out.
Comment by Sunny Kalsi on January 23, 2007
did you really mean to write 180 degrees celcius, because wouldn’t that be the serrated knob? Also, _how_ did you ever figure it out? It’s not like you can tell how washed your clothes are…
[Ed: Whoops about the 180°C. Now corrected.]
Comment by Cassie on January 24, 2007
I’m assuming that you’re the type of person to use “non-foreign” atms as often as possible, so I’m guessing the atm incident occurred since becoming a bendigo bank customer, i.e within the last year. If by “first”, you mean that the atm incident was chronologically the first of the two described, then the washing machine one also occurred within the last year. “Several years” is a bit vague, so it’s hard to say how long it took to figure the knob problem out. You only just figured it out recently though, didn’t you?
I always thought you smelled curtain-fresh whenever I saw you…
Comment by Julian on January 26, 2007
Good try, Cassie, but no.
I did use the Bendigo Bank ATM, but I wasn’t using a Bendigo Bank card – so it still was a “foreign” transaction.
Also, the upside-down knob problem was solved many years before the ATM issue was discovered.
Julian (who is wisely avoiding any mention of pulling himself together)
Comment by Audrey on September 29, 2010
One might question why a machine that does not allow you to withdraw change makes it possible to enter a value with change? (why not simply do away with the decimal?)