All I need is TWO buttons and a number pad to enter the amount of minutes and seconds I need to heat up my food.
Here is what the manufacturer gave me:
And here is what I really would love to have:
Friday, December 19, 2008
Simplicity is the Essence of "User Value"
Sometimes some gadgets are built so complex that it's hopeless. Take my microwave for example, with 20 buttons and a number pad.
All I need is TWO buttons and a number pad to enter the amount of minutes and seconds I need to heat up my food.
Here is what the manufacturer gave me:
And here is what I really would love to have:
All I need is TWO buttons and a number pad to enter the amount of minutes and seconds I need to heat up my food.
Here is what the manufacturer gave me:
And here is what I really would love to have:
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2 comments:
I could not agree more with you on this. It's a matter of a manufacturer building a product that has more features with an assumed increase in value to the consumer, but a drop off in actual usability.
And couple this with poorly written user documentation and you have nothing but a disappointed customer.
My suggestion to further simplify your design is to have an on and off button, but no numeric keypad. Simply present a timer screen to show how long the microwave has been on. It would be the user's choice to turn the device off when they have cooked their food to the desired time. An un-seen cut off switch will turn the microwave off after a factory pre-set time to keep if from running for a dangerously long time.
Oh, to be a product designer!
Ron
www.YourWritingDept.com
Fantastic! Thanks, Ron. I could not think of a simpler way to design this thing and I laughed out aloud when I read your solution! BRAVO! But I don't think most folks would be that "puritan" in their approach to appliance design. But still, a great suggestion. Have a Happy New Year!
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