Short Write-Ups
Good Example - Discord
What is the User Goal?
To message people, call people, join communities/servers, message communities/servers, promote things, and/or be entertained.
How does the design help users in achieving their goals?
Discord offers visual clarity and clearly displays the options available to the user in a clear, digestible manner. The number of options to the user are not overwhelming, but just the right amount of information for the user to select the necessary options. The way the information is organized and presented is another successful aspect of Discord. The “Direct Messages” tab organizes all messages by recency. The list of servers, which are easily organized and grouped together by users is to the left of direct messages, with the Discord logo on top showing the most recent notifications as well as providing users a fast way to go to the “Direct Messages” tab.
All of these features reinforce user control and freedom, and speeds up the user’s ability to efficiently and effectively navigate the interface. Messages and calls operate smoothly without any delay or lag, which is something other similar platforms tend to struggle with. Discord’s stand out feature however has to be it’s aesthetic and minimalist design. The UI is very modern, sleek, and organized, so much so that Discord’s design has not significantly changed since its release in 2015.
Bad Example - Elevator Buttons
What is the User Goal?
Choose and press a button to go to the floor of choice, close/open the door, and/or press a button in case of emergency/extraneous circumstance.
How does the design hinder users in achieving their goals?
Elevator buttons can often be a classic example of bad UX. Different elevators have different layouts for their buttons reducing the consistency with industry standards and norms. Furthermore, the layouts of certain elevators may not actually make logical sense, which further complicates the user’s decision making and experience, specifically increasing their cognitive, visual, and motor load while they search for the button they are trying to press. The “close doors” buttons of many elevators do not actually close the doors, which can frustrate users and make them feel like they do not have any control.
Elevators with buttons on only one side can have the additional negative of limiting user freedom and causing people who step into the elevator to potentially clash with the people in the elevator depending on how cluttered the elevator is. The last major issue is regarding the emergency buttons, as most of them have icons on them without any description of what they do. While most of them are straightforward with the icon, some of the icons are difficult to interpret and hard to know or predict what they do, which is a clarity issue.
Thought Piece - Bad Example - Call for Help Sensors
What is the User Goal?
To call for an employee to (almost always) open a locked cabinet.
What is the issue with the design?
Sensors to call for help are widespread and used in many different contexts and settings, especially in specific stores. However, there are some fundamental issues with these sensors that deserve to be critiqued. The first major issue is the lack of visibility of system status. The sensor does not make clear if an employee has been called besides a quiet beep sound with a small, hardly noticeable blink of light. The issue is usually further exacerbated by an employee not showing up after the first activation. The sensor also creates the impression that the user does not have any control and freedom if the employee does not respond/come or if an announcement that help is required at the certain location of the sensor is not made. Second, these sensors often require the hand to be placed underneath them. This motion is similar to the motions used for soap and hand sanitizer dispensers, which is not a fitting motion. The third problem is not tied to the design of the actual sensors, but there is sometimes a lack of sensors at certain aisles.
Could anything explain the poor design?
The use of a sensor and locked cabinets make logical sense, as theft may be an issue. The use of a sensor specifically is a good idea as a button to press on may be dirty or unsanitary through constant use. The reason employees may not immediately come to assist could be tied to false alarms that may be caused by the sensors. Number of sensors being lower in certain aisles may be due to popularity of items in that aisle.
How would you make it better? How would your suggestion improve the design?
Potential solutions the to design flaws could go as follows: