Working for a Telco comes with its own set of privileges. You get your hands on new hardware quite early. Toying around with a WP7 (smart?)phone some weeks ago made me realize how far we’ve come in terms of HCI and ubiquitous computing. Exciting times … Read More →
Category Archives: Experience
Spoon (S)
For every problem there’s a (designed) solution. Take a look around. For every object you see people spent time thinking, discussing and prototyping solutions. Appreciate it. Thanks Elisa for the loan of the finger.
Net VS Neutrality
One of the underlying principles of the Internet is that companies providing Internet access should treat all sources of data equally (= net neutrality). A domain where this “equality principle” does not hold true is the postal service. The picture above shows a Swiss A-Priority … Read More →
Thermostatic Temperatures
Ever since reading Don Norman’s classic “the design of everyday things” forcing functions became one of my favorite topics. I always keep a sharp lookout for them. In the example above you can see the thermostat of a typical German shower. By default the maximum … Read More →
Aggregate State Transitions
For interactive digital products animations/transitions are a core element forming the user experience. Nature got it’s own way of animating transitions, when the change of season is accompanied by elements slowly changing their aggregate state.
Packaging Nuances
The mysteries of package design. It is impossible to read the instructions on the back of the bottle, without constantly turning it around. Bad packaging design + information overload = unsatisfied customer.
Coffee vs Sugar
Thinking about devices/services that can be used for multiple purposes. How important is it to label these devices to communicate their function in a specific usage scenario? What kinds of products or devices are labeled in your culture? When does labeling products (from a design … Read More →
Ease of Use
Which one of the ads above makes it easier to tear-off the number? The degree to which a service provider/requester can ease the process of getting in touch with a potential client? The threshold where pain points are frustrating enough for clients to refuse to … Read More →
If it Needs Explanation …
… it’s broken. Period. Other familiar examples: Doors and doorknobs labeled with “push” or “pull”. The bottom line is that you should design with affordances in mind. No excuse!