“This Product Sucks!”A Sampler of Product Design Issues
20-minute version for Midwest UX 10Apr2011
Darren [email protected]
@darrenkall#midwestux
KALL ConsultingCustomer and User Experience Design and Strategy
© Kall Consulting 2011
Where was this?
Audience Test
Does this product suck?
This product
is disturbing
but
does not suck.
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This product
is broken
but
does not suck.
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This product
is annoying
but
does not suck.
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This product
is ugly
but
does not suck.
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One Dozen Products that Suck
Problem
Root Cause
Prevention
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Problem 1: Triathlon scenario = running, biking, swimming.
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Watch is ruined if you press buttons underwater.
Root Cause: Implementation or technology did not meet up with user scenario.
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Prevention:
•User scenarios
•Task flow analysis
•Usability test
•Beta test
•Customer concept validation
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Problem 2: Adaptive transmission not designed for a shared car or variable driving style.
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Root Cause: Designed for ideal-world case not real-world case.
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Prevention*:
•User research
•Workflow
•Task flow
•Activity cycles
•Beta test
* To credit VW, they redesigned and eventually dropped this feature.
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Pull or Push? Can you tell?
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Problem 3:
Even with signs users bang into doors.
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Root Cause:
Handle affordances not distinguishable.
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Prevention: Design for affordances. Things that look the same should act the same.
•Heuristic evaluation
•Usability checklist
•Remembering your own experiences
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Problem 4: Frustrating experience to pay for parking.
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Root Cause: Bad information architecture, bad visual design, bad task flow …
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Prevention: •Intentional IA design
•Task flow analysis
•Usability study
•Participatory Design
•Guerilla UX
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Problem 5: Scalding or freezing shower.
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Root Cause: Fixing bad UI in help, the manual, or in training.
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Prevention: Fix the product, not the user.
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Problem 6:
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Root Cause:
•Did not anticipate expected user behavior.
•Did not prevent fatal errors.
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Prevention:
•Do not design against engrained user behaviors
•Usability test
•Task flow analysis
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Problem 7: Believing “Don’t worry, we’ll fix it later.”
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Root cause: “Later” never happens.
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Prevention: Prioritize user-impacting “bugs”.
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Problem 8: Breaking user trust.
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Root cause:
•Telling lies
•Making mistakes
•Assuming customers can’t do math
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Prevention:
•Don’t lie
•Correct even minor mistakes – they accumulate
•Remember users are smarter than you think
Problem 9: The self-locking hotel internal bedroom suite door.
Photo Credit: Darren Kall
Root Cause: Things are not used in a vacuum – missed system design.
Photo Credit: Darren Kall
Photo Credit: Darren Kall
Prevention:•Interactive system analysis•Beta testing•Fix stuff customers complain about
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Problem 10: No sidewalk where people want to walk.
“I’m the user damn it!”
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•Prevention:
•Participatory design
•Catch the user
•Democratize design
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Problem 11: Can’t set alarm. Can’t follow directions. Don’t trust product.
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Root Cause: Product not designed for use. Instruction is a poor substitute for good design.
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Prevention: Usability test. Products should be easy to use.
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Problem 12: Unintended Acceleration
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Root Cause: “We lost sight of our customers” James Lentz
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Root Cause: “Complaint investigations focused too narrowly on technical without considering HOW consumers USED their vehicles.”
James
Lentz
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•Prevention: •Listen to customers
•Check if solution explains the user data (70% not the pedal)
•Test for worked “as used” not “as designed”
•Ethnographic research into drivers
•Analytics on real users to build test scenarios
•Listen to experts
• …
In Conclusion:
Don’t tolerate products that suck.
Don’t buy products that suck
And …
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Don’t
design
products
that
suck.Photo Credit
Don’t design products that suck:
1. Meet (advertised) user scenarios with capabilities2. Design for real-world use not ideal-world3. Distinguish affordances 4. Design with conscious intention5. Fix the product, not the user6. Don’t design against engrained behaviors7. Prioritize user-impacting “bugs”8. Correct even minor mistakes9. Remember your product is part of a whole system10. Prohibition does not work – democratize design11. Products should be easy to use12. Don’t lose sight of HOW customers USE your product
Darren Kall• [email protected]• http://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenkall• @darrenkall• +1 (937) 648-4966• http://www.slideshare.net/DarrenKall
Thank you.
KALL ConsultingCustomer and User Experience Design and Strategy
Darren Kall• [email protected]• http://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenkall• @darrenkall• +1 (937) 648-4966• http://www.slideshare.net/DarrenKall
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