Petrol Pumps and remote controls.

/Start Rant.

I have a problem with petrol pumps. The older ones anyway. They are hard to use, and do not give enough user feedback in my opinion. The gap between the trigger and the handle is too far away on many of the pumps. Now, I have normal sized hand (I think), and sometimes I still struggle to reach the trigger to pump the fuel into my car. I feel I have to virtually stretch my hand to it's maximum hand span just to get my fingers around it. And when I manage to do this, I can only just fit my fingers around the trigger. Imagine someone with small hands trying to use this! They would almost have to use two hands. Additionally, the trigger does not push far enough in, leaving the user questioning whether the fuel is actually being pumped into the tank or not. Some of the newer, updated fuel pumps are better, where the user actually feels like they are doing something, however not many petrol stations have been updated. Also, the fuel pipe is not flexible enough. Sometimes I have to contort and pull and twist the head of the pump just to get it into the mouth of the tank. I may be being pedantic, however if I am having troubles with this, then I can only assume other people are having trouble with this too. Pumping fuel into one's car is a regular occurrence, and therefore should be designed for the user a lot better. Further more, petrol stations are just plain ugly. There is no aesthetic appeal in to a petrol station what-so-ever. It is industrial and boring and is an eyesore in the community.

My second rant comes in the form if my television control at home. I have a Sony Bravia in my living room. Now I am not saying this is a bad T.V, not at all, in fact is is a very good T.V and I feel very privileged to have one, however the user interaction of the remote control is horrible. Firstly, there are too many buttons. Way too many buttons. The user is lost in just turning on the product. Secondly, there are two on/off buttons. One is to turn on the television, and the other is to turn on the amp. The two buttons are only differentiated by the shape. Way to create even more confusion for the user!
Secondly, the T.V is controlled by the amp, even though the amp does not need to be on. Because the entire system is linked up, the amp must be on the 'T.V' setting to turn on the actual T.V. other setting include radio and DVD player and Foxtel etc. Another major flaw in this remote design is that the volume control buttons don't work unless you press the "T.V" button at the top left hand corner which glows red when you do. This takes a considerable amount of learning from the user, and first time users are completely out of their element. I think the reason why it is so complex is that Sony have tried to pile all of the user interface to control every system, from the T.V to the surround sound system into one singular remote and at the same time make it as small and compact as possible. However they fail at this because the size of the remote is huge. It is very very long and inconvenient. And it does too many things, and does not do them successfully either I feel.

These are only two products that have bad user interaction that I feel are suitable for this topic. I could continue, however I won't.

/End Rant.

Razan Sappideen

MyKi – Man, Your Kidding…

Now everyone knows about MyKi and the constant debate about the system and peoples opinion about the massive amount of money that has been wasted on this project, which was not even needed. Well In my opinion MyKi is actually a good idea, in theory it is made to speed things up and it is also made to be easier to use, and much more environmentally friendly, but this system I believe is the one of the worst executed products I have ever seen. The theory of the product seems great! But in reality the product just doesn't work as well as the current system, and people prefer that!

 

Now the reason for this is that the MyKi follows a concept, which relies on developing technology. The technology is meant be a 'touch system' where you just touch on instead of validating your ticket. Now MyKi Was meant to be presented as a very simple system and a fast and easy to use system, but I think validating a ticket once for a trip is better than touch on and then touching off again!! This basically brings everything backwards! Very well done MyKi! The second thing is that MyKi is supposed to be cheaper by giving a cheaper fare by calculating the distance between the arrival and destination and the time it took to get there. Fair enough seems pretty simple but again, MyKi gets the math wrong! MyKi calculates the fare, but sometimes it can't judge the time or distance properly and then snatches excess money or leaves you without deducting any money! (Actually the fact that sometimes it doesn't deduct anything is pretty handy!).

 

MyKi has cost victoria a fortune, both to set up and to run. MyKi costs a total of around $1.35 billion. $494 million for start up and $50–55 million per year to run the system along with other associated costs. That is a lot of money! Another example of poor execution of the product. The testing should have been considered a fair bit and more research should have been put into the product to make it work.

 

The unsuccessful results and the demeaning opinions of people about the MyKi system tell them that it was a very poorly executed product, but had a great idea in mind which could have been made much better with a bit more thought and testing.

 

Even though I have criticized MyKi's design I just want to say that I actually use a MyKi myself, mainly because it's cheaper than Metcard, but MyKi still does have potential is still a good product, just not better than the current system.

 

Bishavjot Singh

 

Acr

I have had the Acer Aspire TimelineX notebook for about 2 years now and have been very pleased with its performance and features. Overall it is a great laptop that i believe is one of the nicest looking laptops around. The only issue i have with it, is that it was obviously designed with an importance on aesthetics rather than usability.
The computer interface or the Keyboard of this notebook is so poorly executed that it makes it incredibly hard to type passwords and write documents. The main reason for this issue is the absence of casing around the keys. As you can see in the closeup picture there is a gap in between each key, which means alot of dust can go in and is hard to get out, making the pressing of some buttons difficult.
Additionally the buttons are mounted centrally in a small area causing them to tip over when pressed on the side. This means that the buttons click sounds when it is not actually pressed.
I have asked others who had different models of Acer notebooks and they have also experienced the same problem.
With both of these issues of interface execution, typing an essay is near impossible and has resulted in many Acer customers being dissatisfied.
Shaun Turner

iPod Click Wheel

Photos of the iPod Third Generation (top) and iPod Nano Third Generation (bottom)

The iPod Click Wheel

Yes, I know what you are thinking. Maybe this is just another rant about apple product, and you would probably be right. But hear me out for a minute.

 

The click wheel currently used on the iPod classic was first introduced in 2004 on the iPod Photo and the iPod Mini. This click wheel was a culmination of the third generation iPod (2003), which featured a scrolling dial and four buttons as separate. This interface worked quite well as the user could change the song, return to the menu or play/pause with the press of a button. The volume was controlled by this circular wheel like button, which took up a good third of the front face of the iPod. The interface on the third generation iPod was neat, and with only 5 ways that the user could interact with iPod, it was simple. These two factors are fundamentals of good design. Acording to industrial designer Dieter Rams, good design has ten governing principals. "Good design is as little design as possible…. Good design makes a product understandable…" Dieter Rams. These are just two of the principals that Rams used to form many of his iconic designs. Another principal of Rams' was that "Good design was aesthetic…". Here, Rams referred to not just the fact that the product looked good to the user, but looked good in the context that is was designed to be in. The context for the iPod was not really known, as the competitors designs such as the Sony Walkman looked nothing like this. The release of the iPod changed the way that people look at personal music devices, not only because of the flawless design of the body, but also the design of the user interface. The four buttons and volume control dial where unlike any other product on the market at the time. The volume dial felt more instinctive to people who where interested in music appreciation, and provided them with a more satisfying feeling of changing the volume of the song they are listening to. It harked back to the audio system people have in their home, and the way they change the volume, with dials. This proved to be a lot more satisfying than pressing a button to increase the volume, and left the competition far behind when people came to deciding on a product to purchase. 

 

Apple developed this interface further with the release of the iPod Mini and Photo in 2004 (as mentioned above). The development of the click wheel not only made the iPod interface easier, but it also made the product look simpler and even more clean and refined. The four buttons that once sat in a line on the top of the iPod third generation now sat in on the click wheel, where the user could change the volume, scroll, change song, play/pause and return to the menu, all on a circular section of the iPod! In terms of having control over a product in the simplest and most effective way, I think the current iPod click wheel does an exceptional job. Sometimes I think when I use my iPod that, sure it is not the most straight forward way to use the product, like regular buttons may be, but we have all learnt to use this interface. We have sort of adapted to understand this interface. We do this with all the products that we interact with, figuring them out so we can use them instinctively. I think that this interface allows people to use it easily without any experience for the first time, but also challenges the user to play with it more in order to figure it out.

With the development and refinement of touch screen technologies, physical buttons are appearing less and less in not only Apple products (as evident with the current iPod Nano), but also with many other products. I myself sometimes think that a touch screen interface feel more natural and easy to use, but I will always have a soft spot for an actual working button. While touch screens tick most of the boxes in Rams' ten principals of good design do they really make a product understandable? They can sometimes seem overwhelming with the amount of possible actions they can perform.

 

There is something about the satisfaction of pressing a button that appeals to me more than a touch screen button. I find it easier to press the wrong button on a touch screen device than on a device with tactile buttons. I think this may have to do with the fact that the amount of buttons is massive on a touch phone when compared with a phone with physical buttons. This relates back to learning the interface and buttons of the device, which is done more effectively if the product interface is simple!

 

I hope this is not too much to take in, and that I didn't stretch too far away from the topic. Thanks for reading :) 

 

  

 

RIP Steve Jobs

 

 

 

Matt Harding

 

Ps. I strongly suggest looking up Dieter Rams' Ten Principals of Good Design…
http://www.vitsoe.com/en/gb/about/dieterrams/gooddesign

 

 

 

PUSH OR PULL?

Alright, this might sound like a bit of a fussy one, but I've often
gone to push or pull a door only to find that it involved using the
other action for me to walk through. Very frustrating!

When we move to open a door we look for signs as to which direction it
should be opened, a handle, a bar or even a simple plate. They are
usually located in the right spot so I've got not qualms with that -
if the door was to open in a clockwise, right arc the handle is
located on the left. All good. My issue is with the handle design.
When a door has a nice, matte finished steel handle bar in a verticle
orientation one would generally pick up on the signs the door is
providing and react with a pull motion. And get stuck. It happens time
and time again, where a push action is required and the designer has
specified a handle that indicates otherwise.

On a similar note, bars that span the entire width of the door in
diagonal or horizontal direction. These give no indication as to
whether the door opens to the left or right. Look at the second image
above, which side would you push on?

Handles, plates and bars are such a simple detailing in the overall
scheme of the building and are often less well thought through. We
have beautifully designed interior finishing products but by simply
installing it in the wrong place users can over look their aesthetic
appeal and instead become frustrated with the functionality of it. All
in all, you're generally only saving a few milliseconds of time by
using the correct motion and only have a passing sense of frustration,
but still something that is quite easily and simply avoided.

Steph Tan

Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse

I had the unfortunate pleasure of using this mouse roughly 5 years ago at a friend's house. My main issue with this product is that the human interaction becomes too inconvenient when you compare it to using a normal scroll mouse. While the innovative concept is definately there in the design and interface, it comes off pointless if it cannot work as easily and smoothely as its predessor.

The Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse's main function is the trackball situated in the middle of the mouse. This effectively acts as the cursor which the user uses to navigate themselves on the computer. Two buttons are positioned on the side acting as the left and right buttons. Next to each lies another smaller button which act as backward and forward buttons during web surfing. The advantages of using this mouse would be that less wrist work would be required as the trackball controls the cursor; this also offers a larger curser range due to its flexible movement. It is also an ambidexterous design meaning both right and left handers can use it.

 

So, what's wrong with it?

 

Firstly, the product lacks a scrolling function. The scroll becomes very useful in terms of internet surfing and reviewing documents. There have been reports that this mouse can be reprogrammed so that it can scroll, however that's one extra step which could have been resolved in the product design itself.

Secondly, this mouse would rely heavily on past experience. The creative concept of using a ball to navigate a cursor would take twice as long to adapt to compared to using a standard computer mouse. This alone can put off any customer as it requires twice the effort to use something that achieves the same result with half the effort of another product. Particularly in gaming, this mouse would prove very difficult as the accuracy relys on a steady finger than a steady hand.

The original mouse uses a planar cursor field, wheras the Trackman Marble focuses on a 360 experience- This I don't get. You're already working with a planar screen, why would you need to introduce a 360 medium if your work is 2D? It baffles me. Also I don't experience that much wrist pain when I use a standard mouse but I do believe it goes both ways; if you use any muscle excessively, it will eventually grow tired. You may avoid wrist fatigue but I'm sure if you use you move your finger around for hours on end, it's going to get tired regardless.

Because the trackball requires a lot of movement, the gap in between is open to dust and other bacteria which could interfere with the optical reader, therefore it needs to be cleaned every 4 - 6 months.

The positioning of the buttons were quite awkward as well. Being so used to using my index finger to click the left mouse button, the user is now forced to use their thumb to select. Once again, this is another step for the consumer to get used to making it inconvenient and unappealing.

 

 

Overall, I understand this design aimed to introduce a new and innovative way to control the mouse. It has a few good advantages but compared to its number one competitor, the Logitech Trackman Marble lacks in usability and consumer popularity.

 

 

 

Karen Ly

 

 

 

Resources:

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/logitech-trackman-marble.html

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/trackballs/devices/4680

http://reviews.logitech.com/7061/4680/logitech-trackman-marble-reviews/reviews.htm?page=2

 

This week's post - product interaction, the good and the bad

Today in class we spoke a little about the difference between concept and execution. Having a good idea is one thing, but pulling it off is another.

A good example of this is the current iPhone - great concept, but the execution is actually flawed - the steel edge interferes with reception, and we all know how delicate they are.

This week, the blog is about product interaction. As you're all detailing your designs, I'd like this issue to be at the front of your mind. HOW are people going to interact with your product?

The post itself is quite simple - I'd like to see examples and discussion of products with good (or bad) interfaces, and critically, WHY you think so!

Coffee machines, phone interfaces, doors, etc, there are heaps of products which could be so much better (in execution) except for their interface.

So don't pull any punches here folks, if you can think critically about interface, you're on your way to being a designer who can make the world better!

Robbie

--
Dr Robbie Napper
Lecturer
Industrial Design
Monash University

Refinementation

So the circle has been circled and I've changed a few aspects of my design (a glucose level tester and trend indicator for those unfamiliar).

Firstly, the form of the tester has been retained, but flattened so as to more easily be slid into and out of the user's pocket. The hinged watch-like shape has been added due to workshop but mirrors nicely the shape of the trender. Due to the inclusion of this hinge a slight gap has been integrated between the top and bottom surfaces to allow the hinge to work appropriately. The interface has been altered slightly, the included buttons are for scrolling (ie left and right), select and menu plus a screen which displays the current blood gluocose concentration and the overall diabetes control of the user. Colour has also been integrated into the reading, communicating to the diabetic how good or bad their levels are.

The trend watch has been put on a diet and smoothed out. The original watch was a little too sci fi so the edges have been chamfered and the large face tapers into the wrist band to decrease the appreciated size. The watch now charges and communicates with the glucometer via usb 2 as the original use of bluetooth mean that the watch would run out of power quickly and another form of power such as batteries would have to be included which compromised the package. The adjustable section of the band been changed from leather to steel mesh purely from aesthetic preference.

Cheers,

Ed

Refinement

The refinement process helped me to identify a few key issues with my blood sugar tester.
These issues, such as a lack of mechanism for seperating the device, and lack of buttons to operate the digital display have been resolved.

I felt that with the button for operating the needle, a triangular shaped button which 'pointed' upwards would make more sense to the user, seeing as the device is supposed to be easier for people in the general public to operate. I also came up with a simple solution to the 'rolling' problem which my device would have had if it were placed on any sloped surface. 

To fix this, I put some rubber strips or pieces on the back of the device to help it stick to surfaces.
Other small details such as screen size, the battery case shape, and colours have also been adjusted to better suit the device.

By exploring different button shapes and playing with the shape of the midway parabola that divides the device, I believe I have come up with a much more refined product and have vastly improved on my initial concept design. 

Dael

Love Measurement Refinement

Sorry for the late post, So here is the refinement of my Love measurement. As the image shown above, I have already shaped the general shape and some buttons of my mechanical Bungle. What remains for next week's workshop is all about mechanisms: twisting ring, buttons, sliding wings and so on. Plastic is going to be used for my sliding wing and screen. Before put my device on the lath, I did some research about the the size of a people's wrist. What says in the book 'The Measurement of Man and Woman' is 95mm will pass 99% pelple, but in fact that's too big. I just figured out that 80mm is just fine, so hope this data could help anyone doing bungle device. Other detailed refinement is the buttons on the furface. I will try to keep the buttons in one line so that makes them look like a whole thing. Anyway, next week will be in the workshop the whole week, hope to get everything done on time. Aodong Wei

more and more refinement

My good measure project, a device to measure temperature, sound levels and light to give a reading on how good a room/space is for studying and working, is slowly being refined - so far I have resolved any scale and technical issues, considered how and where it is used, and am moving on to the interface. The interface of my design is fairly simple, comprising of one button and a series of strip LED lights - to refine these i'm falling back on the old design elements and principles: applying them and experimenting with them to see what options i can come up with. I think my design is mostly resolved, but just needs a little bit more 'tweaking' to get it to the final product stage.

This coming week will be a big one for me in terms of resolving my device, but it will be an even bigger one for workshop!

3D scanner refinements

I mainly have to refine the small details of my model such as ergonomics and interface (buttons) as it is much easier to this in 3 dimensions rather than sketching.

So far I have vacuum formed my two buttons and the trigger, and i tried to make it as ergonomic as possible, similar to buttons seen on real products.

Rohan

Refinement

Hi all. soo sorry for the late post.

ok so refinement.... the refinement of my device has specifically been in the form and the human interaction. 

I have given the body a more seamless flow, i will be making the handle more slimmer to be more easily held and the hand grips to make its more comfortable. The air vents were an add on not to long ago realising i needed some air flow for the vacuum device. The dust collecting hatch, will be made from the vac forming process. I also realised i needed a source of power funny enough, and thought about the device being held in a slot, but then thought i could just have a hole that you plug a cord into. 

From this past week it occurred to me that the purpose of my device was not specific enough, i was trying to measure the general bacteria levels. Instead I should have a bench mark of how clean a surface is according to specific standards. (eg. is this bench top clean according to hospital standards or hotel standards)

Also the model is coming along slowly :)

Sooo sorry for the late post again. 

Tegan :)

Refinement of the "Sleep Easy" Device

The first attached image is the original concept before starting the process of refinement and the second image is the current model.

Through the process of refinement the form of my product has evolved drastically.
This includes the development of snap connected ear pieces rather than the original click-in design to give the design flexibility and aid in size manipulation.
The introduction of a gel bed for the EEG monitors is also a significant development. This will guarantee that the monitors come in direct contact with the wearer's head, ensuring an accurate read is achieved.
The colour scheme has also been manipulated to exude the feeling of relaxation, which is integral to a product designed to be used during sleep.
In addition to this, an organic pattern has been introduced to the facade of the headband in order to create a dreamy aesthetic.

Whilst not evident in the images, the current model also features felt covers for the inside of the ear pieces to cover up the interface panel and the speaker in order to increase comfort.
The device is also designed with symmetry in mind - this will allow the user to wear the product either with the speaker in the left ear or right ear, depending on their preference. To allow for this the ear pieces can easily be alternated from the left and right bracket. This aspect of the design will be particularly handy for consumers travelling on planes as they can situate the ear piece with the "Sleep Stage" display screen towards the aisle, so that air-stewards can see the message displayed no matter where the user is seated.

Currently, I am satisfied with the refinements made thus far and endeavour to improve all aspects of the product, ultimately aiming to achieve a sleeker, less bulky and more comfortable style.

Ashlee Shepherd. 

hydration device

the is my measuring device it measures hydration levels in you body.
this device would be used by out door extremists such as
hikers,mountain climbers/bikers or any person who is involved in a
physical activity which drains the boys of water. the device is meant
to be able to strap on to the front face of a back pack, allowing the
user to carry and use it efficiently. the device is used by the user
placing a small amount of saliva on to the screen on the pin and then
inserting the pin in the device, giving a reading of how hydrated they
are, by using siluette of a body which if hydrated the body will be
either 3/4 to half full and will appear blue, if body requiers water
the the body will be 1/4 full and will appear red, giving the sign
that the user is de-hydrated. the major changes i have made are the
shape of the wings, i rounded the ends, instead of having it more
triangular, this ensured the rope which weaves through the hole will
hold, i also added a rope pin which adds extra strength to the device
when it has been strapped on.

avinda fernando

Refinement

As you can see, I haven't finished my mock-up. In the process of making modeling, I broke mine into several pieces.

My device is to measure the weight of recyclables and display it through tree shaped LED screen. The more recyclables are gathered in it, the higher the levels of LED screen. It consists of two cylindrical bins: one for recyclables and another for landfill.

After the pin-up I have thought about the details and what is missed. One of the details that I added is recognizing camera on the bin which can figures out that what categories the recyclables are in. For example, when the recyclables are thrown into the recycle bin, the camera checks the shape and materials of the recyclables. And then the scale measures the weight of the recyclables.

Another thing that has been changed is the buttons to control the display. Before the pin-up, the display used to be fixed and to be tree-shaped. However, the plan has been changed from tree shaped LED display to flat flexible penal screen. As the bin is cylindrical, the screen has to be a curvature that is why the flexible penal is used for, beside the screen can display additional information.

Richard

Water purity

My water purity testing device has had several small alterations throughout the last week whilst making the model. They have mainly occurred during workshop time when i have been forming the shape. I made soft models to understand the basic form of the device and its comfort, but as wood can hold crisper edges this has altered some of the angles of the faces and where the sharp crease lines end.

 

The user interface has remained very similar with only two buttons, and two LED's. I have stayed with this idea of using two LED's to tell the user if the water is either safe or unsafe to drink as it removes the risk people may take. If a scale with smaller increments was used the user may risk drinking the water if it was only marginally safe. When first researching water purity testing devices i only really looked into one type, but i have recently discovered how they can test a much larger variety of water contaminants. A small change needed to occur the the actual testing probes found under the lid, but apart from that the technical package should fit in my device without alterations.

 

I have briefly looked into colour schemes for my device, but as as it can be used when travelling, in your home or in the outdoors it may be difficult to find a colour scheme which suits all three applications.

 

Jarrod Burge 

Rocket Todd Refinement

After the last concept pin up, I refined a few more details about the form of my product. From some good feedback, I realised some features of my bottle are not suitable for toddlers. I had alot of fun making the ends really spiky and industrial, and then another spiky stand to support it standing up. It was a rocket design through and through, only spiky/pointy things do not mix well with kids - especially kids with eyes and active imaginations. So, I've cut off the spikes and made a flatter base so it could stand and would be safer for the target audience.

Secondly, the colours are not set in stone. I want to experiment with what colours would mix well with eachother by sketching it up in illustrator and dunking in random colours. Since the painting process isn't till the finished product, I'll focus on the form first and then refine colours.

 

I still have alot of carving out to do so I'll most likely be going into the workshop next week. In the meantime, I think I might catch up on some much needed sleep and let future Karen worry about this...

 

 

 

Karen Ly

Music Analyser Refinement

For those who have forgotten, my device measures how accurate a violinist is playing their piece of music. I have reached the final stages of refinement and as with everyone, I am very please with the current form and sizing of my measuring device.  There has also been a lot of progress in the refinement of the interface. The slightly angled screen allows the player to see the outputted display while they are playing. The output will be a percentage of accuracy and the digits will be coloured scaled accordingly. The device will also provide the user with a breakdown in specific areas i.e., timing and intonation. During refinement, I've also taken into account the device's technical package as well as where the cameras and microphones will be placed on my device. Though technology behind my device will need be further investigated during this week's write up.

I have briefly played around with colour schemes. I'm heading towards a copper and black combination as this will balance with the colours of a violin nicely. Investigation into the type of materials being used is needed and will be dependant on availability. I purchased my timber today and will be commencing the construction of my model this week (finally). Obviously, I will probably make some minor changes when I begin to deal with three dimensional forms. Wish me luck.

-Phi Do