This Product Sucks! for Midwest UX Conference
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“This Product Sucks!” A Sampler of Product Design Issues 20-minute version for Midwest UX 10Apr2011 Darren Kall [email protected] @darrenkall #midwestux KALL Consulting Customer and User Experience Design and Strategy © Kall Consulting 2011
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This Product Sucks brings awareness that the things we design could suck unless we are intentional and conscious of the impacts on users. Examples include the distinction between a bad product and one that sucks. Principles are supported by abstracted examples. The problems and root causes can (and should) apply to any product that people interact with. Please don't design any more products that suck.
Transcript of This Product Sucks! for Midwest UX Conference
“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
