usability

Bilingual

The Elevator Button Problem
2 months ago
- The elevator button problem highlights hidden depths in user interface design, where pressing 'up' to go up is learned folk wisdom, not universal knowledge.
- Extra information, like the elevator's current floor, can confuse users into thinking it's needed to decide, when only confirmation of the request is required.
- Directional buttons (up/down) help optimize elevator routes by allowing the system to know passenger direction, reducing wasteful stops.
- A single call button simplifies the interface but can make the system less efficient by forcing unnecessary stops for opposite-direction travelers.
- Alternative designs, such as entering destination floor via keypad or touchscreen, eliminate ambiguity but may introduce confusion due to behavior bias.
- Usability trade-offs exist: simple interfaces may hamper efficiency, while advanced systems can overcomplicate for novices.
Avoid the nightmare bicycle
2 months ago
- The 'nightmare bicycle' is a design that oversimplifies with labels like 'gravel mode' instead of numbered gears, losing intuitive understanding.
- Users are capable of learning systematic structures (e.g., numbered gears) with practice, and good design should leverage that ability.
- Microwaves don't need a button for every food; a simple time and power control suffices because people can learn to cook.
- Good designs expose systematic structure, allowing users to build mental models and apply them to new situations.
- Bad designs hide underlying systems with superficial labels, inhibiting user understanding and adaptability.
Public Transport – Don't Make Me Think
2 months ago
- The author traveled to multiple cities and found ticketing systems for public transport varied widely in usability.
- Basel offered a free transport card from hotels, making it effortless for tourists and nearly ideal.
- Milano used contactless credit cards with daily fare caps, simplifying payment and user experience.
- Warsaw required paper tickets from kiosks with manual validation, slightly inconvenient but generally functional.
- Tallinn required a dedicated app for QR code tickets, adding minor friction with ticket type choices.
- Riga's app required scanning a QR code on each vehicle despite having a pass, making it cumbersome.
- Melbourne needed a reloadable plastic card with non-refundable balances, leading to wasted money.
- Paris was criticized for requiring multiple apps and complex, separate tickets for different transport modes.
- Japan's Suica card worked seamlessly across cities once obtained, though topped up with cash initially.
- The author advocates for systems that minimize cognitive load, favoring contactless payments with caps or free transport.
- Comments highlighted other examples like Luxembourg's free transport and London's tap-on/tap-off system.
- Common pain points included zone-based pricing, multiple apps per city, and validation complexities.

usability

The Elevator Button Problem

Avoid the nightmare bicycle

Public Transport – Don't Make Me Think