A very touchy interaction
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 |
Recently I was asked to do some last minute consulting work on JetStar's e-ticket check-in kiosk. The kiosk was a bright orange box and incorporated two monitors and several peripherals; an infrared scanner (which uses new technology, invisible to the eye), the credit card reader and the printer. The on-screen graphics aimed to inform the confused traveller about which of these intimate interactions to use and what could be gained by such a romantic exchange of personal data. Simply put, most of my advice aimed to create a better visual relationship between the icons onscreen and the icons painted onto the kiosk (visible in screengrab above). Reducing the time it takes to self check-in literally saves money and an incremental decrease of 30 seconds is a really big deal. It was an interesting project which got me thinking more about how people use the device, their expectations and how important context is when designing interactions. For example;
These are just a few considerations. Every device is different and I am reminded of how important it is to consider design in a broader setting. I am often disappointed by the usability of ticket machines, ATM's and other devices. Often all it is is a poor marriage between the hardware and what's happening on screen. Maybe designers and engineers need to collaborate more often or maybe the world just needs more marriage guidance councillors? |
Tim Kotsiakos, Creative Director
Labels: Design and Usability, Reactive
3 Comments:
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Anonymous said...
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Reactive said...
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Sam said...
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Post a CommentThis was an interesting article. ATMs ARE particularly frustrating; the buttons never really line up with the options!
Thanks for your comment. ATM's are notorious for misaligned buttons. It is also interesting to consider that ATM's have been a part of our everyday life for many years now, much like mobile phones, microwaves, remote controls etc.. As they say "What is most usable, is most familiar" and its the unfamiliar interfaces that have to work so much harder to win the trust of the user. This makes the iPod even more impressive.
Some of this has to do with whether or not there is designer input into the design of the machine from the beginning. From a technical background myself, many engineers instinctively only consider design in terms of technical limitations/ease. To them, the resulting design is completely useable, and they're baffled as to why others can't work it out.
It's a mindset that takes a conscious effort to break out of, and when there are designers on the team poking them, it generally gets easier :)
The fact that you were brought on only at the last minute is maybe an example of the engineering-centric mindset.
Speaking of ticket machines - public transport ones are the worse I reckon. I'm a Melbournian, and I thought our ones were bad until I took a look at Sydney's (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenelle/754971643/)! What the hell were they thinking!?!
Even from an engineer's perspective, the technical issues behind testing and maintaining so many buttons on each machine would be horrible. Not to mention the inflexibility, should god forbid, they extend the lines.