More Molly Guards
a day ago
- #molly-guards
- #safety
- #design
- The author expands on the concept of molly guards, highlighting various examples from industrial to digital environments.
- Industrial molly guards include physical covers, like a perspex guard on an IBM typewriter, and softer versions that prevent accidental activation without obstruction.
- Clever designs include a floppy drive handle that locks the disk during use and red lights placed near SD card slots to warn against ejection during writing.
- Software examples feature molly guards in Finder when opening many files, the iPhone's slide-to-unlock for alarms, and Chrome's exit confirmation.
- The author critiques certain implementations, such as Chrome's hold-to-quit, for poor styling and lack of feedback, while praising skeuomorphic designs like early iTunes' CD burning guard.
- The post concludes with a historical note, showing the original "Molly" with her father, as referenced in a university alumni magazine.