Interaction Critique

Is it ready yet?

For a much need brake from studying this week, I ventured over to the campus Einstein Bagels. It was near lunchtime and really busy. Between the long line and the ordering kiosk the workers were flying around behind the counter trying to keep up. They use the classic restaurant pagers that resemble over-sized coasters to alert customers that their order is ready for pick up at the counter. In many ways, these little devices are a great way to facilitate crowds of waiting people, and better than the alternatives. Having a person shouting out names or numbers is flawed for obvious reasons, and giving the customer a number that will flash up on a screen puts a little too much responsibility on them, plus requires them to stay within eye shot of the screen with constant attention to it. These paging devices allow the person to stray to where ever is comfortable for waiting, and requires no acute attention to the system. They are large enough that it would be hard to misplace one in the 5- 30 min span you might be in charge of it and they give the customer something tangible to stare at and fiddle with while impatiently waiting for his or her order. When the order is ready, the device vibrates and lights up wildly using bright red LEDs. The excited state of the pager is fairly satisfying after idleing waiting for your food, and there is no worry that you will miss it "blowing up". There is even a small LED that blinks periodlically to let you know it is still working properly. With out this feedback I could imagine many people would reach a point where they were sure their device was broken and would go to the counter to make sure they hadn't missed thier call out. The only complaint I have with these pagers, and one I would guess I share with the employees of Einstein, is that once you go to the counter to retrieve your food, they don't stop blowing up. So on a busy lunch rush like the one I encountered this week the whole room is filled with the obnoxious echoing buzz or 7 or 8 pagers dancing around the counter top. I believe they even have small metal feet that amplify the noise. Doesn't it seem like they could have eaisly put a sensor in to make them stop going off once they were close to home base?

Major point of pain (sometimes quite literally) in product purchasing

Though it is not a isolated design, blister packaging for consumer products often results in poor user experience. Specifically this type of packaging is referred to as a clamshell and is a result of companies trying to deter theft for small high-value products. It is formed using hard plastic (either two pre-formed plastic sheets or one sheet folded over onto itself and fused at the edges) and designed to closely fit its contents. I never seem to have a pair of scissors or knife handy, and it always seems like one would be able to oped it either by popping the two peices apart or tearing the plastic, but this is never the case. Not only can you rarely accomplish opening the package, but it can be dangerous. Wikipedia states that "Wrap rage is sometimes the result" and 6,000 Americans are sent to the emergency room each year in the attempt to conquer these packages.
On a more humorous note, there is an entire market for products designed soley for the purpose of getting into other products packaged in this way.



Product packaging that is so difficult to open that it causes user frustration (and injury) ruins the first moment you spend with your new product. Be it a pair of scissors (hope you already own one pair...) or a new tech gadget, this experience doesn’t exactly leave the user with a good impression or make them want to run out and get another one. People appreciate things that offer immediate satisfaction, and having to strategically break into the toy you just purchased does not satisfy this desire. Thumbs down!