Tiny Mobile Phones

Ever since mobile phones first came onto the scene, the aim has always been to make them smaller and smaller. Early in the last decade this started to reach a peak which caused problems with the interface. I'm sure everyone here has at some point used a phone where the buttons are just too small. Before you know it you're mashing the keypad, putting in wrong numbers. It gets even worse when sending texts, which can be a pain to do even on larger sized keypads.

Overall I think this is a good example of a good idea that isn't well executed. A smaller phone is a good idea, as it is more portable and fits easier in your pocket or bag. However due to the ergonomics involved, it is easy to poorly execute it as it can end up too small for the hand to grip, and the buttons become to small to press easily.

The same deal applies to smartphones with full QWERTY keyboards on them. The buttons are tiny, and it even becomes harder to find the number keys, as they got lost in all the other buttons.

Andrew de Morton

Pedals and Wheels.

Cars are amazingly complex things.

In the current age, there are few people in the world who would be able to give a detailed explanation of the workings of each component on a modern car. However, driving a car is supremely intuitive for the vast majority of us, despite the fact we don't really know whats going on.

For me, the amount of control the average person, let along a F1 driver, has over their car is impressive and it comes down to interface of the car, the steering wheel, gear lever and  2 or three pedals. With these controls a person can control a lump of metal up to 2 or 3 tonnes in weight at speeds exceeding 100km/h. Not bad for a few thousand bucks. Not only can the interface control the car in a rudimentary way, the feel and weight of the controls are fine tuned so that the involvement is more exhilarating, deft and accurate.

Of course, cars haven't always been controlled this way, the model T ford had a completely different system which was apparently terrifying, you could either crawl along or hurtle down crappy roads with no real brakes at a locked speed like a tractor. The link below is from top gear, showing the development of the modern car interface.

But today all cars a pretty much identical in set up, even if the feel and weight of the instruments are fine tuned. The controls of the modern car have allowed every individual to operate a car safely (some barely) and brought personal transport into reality which is pretty neat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6YBIHc0LAY

Ed Hamer

Wii controller

I'll just start by saying that I was never a fan of the Wii when it was first released, because I found the idea of actually having to move in order to control a video game against the relaxing nature of gaming. But when I got over my cynicism I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly Nintendo completely redesigned the old 64 controller into a product you no longer need three hands to operate. The new controllers have been design to be consist of two separate parts; which means that the user can choose their dominate hand to activate the more essential functions. Each individual controller also has its own speaker which allows for personal sound feedback when playing multiplayer games.  They have also removed the 'C' directional pad and replaced it with a button, that when pushed, converts the current directional pad into the 'C' pad. This is a basic idea but when space is so crucial it has the ability to change the entire feel of the device.

The controller attachments also add to the enjoyment of interaction. The designers have really enhanced the product through this aspect. For me, the ability to actually hold a tennis racquet or golf club completes the interactive gaming experience. However this system does have its flaws, as anyone who has ever played Mario Cart with the wheel will attest to. Maybe it's just me but I just prefer the control you get with the nunchuck. Overall I believe the Nintendo Wii has changed the video gaming industry through the innovative way in which consumers are able to interact with the product.  

 

James Meikle 

TV/VCR Remote Controls

I am sure we have all seen different remote controls before, either at your own house or your friend's or relative's house. When you are using different remote controls from different brands, it gets quite frustrating, because they have completely different layouts. It takes time for users to get used to one particular remote. 

It is always a challenge for designers to fit all the functions and buttons onto such a small panel. But why can't they just keep the layout easy to use? I have found that there are many buttons on my TV remote that I don't even use or know what they are for. When there are too many buttons on one remote, users might press the wrong button and it could take them longer to find the right button. This gets even worse when you are using a remote at someone else's place. 

And with an universal remote, some people find it handy to just have one remote and use it for a few devices, such as TV and VCR. But I am never a big fan of that. I always like to keep and use the remote that came with the device, because those remotes are made particularly for those devices and they probably have certain buttons and controls. 

What could be annoying when using a universal remote is switching between ''modes''. Sometimes a button might have one effect when it is in TV mode and a completely different effect when in VCR mode. It gets confusing when one control can perform double duty. And error is most likely to occur, as the user must know, not only which button to press and also which mode it is in effect, especially when there is no signal to let the user know which mode they are currently in. When designing a remote, designers have purposely created modes to save space, so that the remote is small enough to be held in the hand. And also to save money by reducing the number of buttons and display, which are generally expensive design elements. 

I personally don't like too many buttons on my remote. It just makes it more complex to use. And sometimes the buttons are too small and uncomfortable to press. I must say there could be better ways to control TVs/VCRs with or without a remote.

- Hannie Choi

sorry the post below was by Avinda Fernando

the can opener

i chose to to critique the world famous can opener,

being such an effective appliance i don't now how we would function
with out one, it has made life so much easier and less stressful,
there are all sorts of cool designs in the market today to suit any
type of person. the standard can opener is generally ergonomically
pleasing with is organic curves making it quite a successful design,
though i couldn't help but realise one thing, that i am left handed,
and this has made life so much harder for me as i am the only lefty in
the family and the can opener we have is designed for right handers
meaning every time i use this appliance i generally snap the cutting
disc or break it in some way often leaving me hungry. this has made me
come to the conclusion that the appliance has got a very low score in
the area of user interaction/ effectiveness for all users. it is very
hard to find a can opener these days for both left and right handers,
you would probably need to go to one of these lefty stores and had a
look, i think that can openers these days all should come with a duel
handed use, in my opinion

PlayStation Controller = Incredible Interface

I cannot go past the PlayStation controller for effective user interface.

Earlier this week I held one of these for the first time in a long time and I could not believe how amazing the device was, both in terms of interface and ergonomics - factors which, in a successful design like this are totally interdependent.

The buttons are designed so that they are easy to push and instantly reload, enabling rapid movement, without discomfort due to their flat surface area. They are placed in such a way that they are all able to be used without the consumer stretching their hand at all. Furthermore, the PS3 version has many advantages over the PS2 model including the trigger style shoulder buttons which create a lot more interface enjoyment than its predecessor.

I honestly have not felt more comfortable holding another device, especially another console controller, which brings me to my next point.

Whilst for me the PlayStation controller is the epitome of its kind, I thoroughly despise what Xbox has to offer.

It is both ugly and difficult to use, I feel like its interface does not need to be as complicated as it is, or at least the buttons could be positioned more effectively.

I'd like to think that my opinion is completely objective however, as I was brought up using a PS1 I feel that sentimental value may be a part of the equation.

Ashlee Shepherd

Respirator

The respirator is a great product which saves our lungs from various types of toxic vapours and dust.  Although not the most aesthetically pleasing product, the main purpose of its design is to protect our lungs whilst sitting comfortably on our face. The materials, form and colour scheme are not designed with aesthetics at the forefront of the decisions, rather the ergonomics have been the major consideration. The location of the filters and valves are largely determined by the need to create a certain weight distribution to make the mask sit comfortably, and flush with your face whilst trying not to reduce your field of vision. Even though there can be major improvements made to their appearance, the basic and purely ergonomic design is not out of place in workshops where most products share this attribute.

When first wearing a respirator the weight is the worst aspect of it, but after you get over that fact you forget you are even wearing it. When wearing the respirator by itself it works great, but the problems come when you are doing work which requires both a respirator and eye protection.  The tip of the respirator sits between your eyes making eye protection very awkward to wear. If using normal safety glasses they can't rest on your nose, but must sit up on the respirator. This makes the glasses sit at a further distance from your face which is both awkward and reduces their effectiveness of stopping flying pieces getting into your eyes. I have also tried wearing safety goggles which are styled like skiing goggles; these do not sit flush with your face but move around propped up by the tip of the respirator.

This problem has become more problematic in recent weeks when I have been wearing the respirator more than usual. This problem can be annoyingly be worked around, but wearing the protection of a respirator reduces the effectiveness of another piece of safety gear, the safety glasses. It may just be the respirator that I use which has this problem, but a simple modification of the design to make the seal sit further down from the bridge of your nose would solve this problem.

Jarrod Burge

Trimmer

When I started to think about products that have faults in their design, strangely enough the first thing that came to mind is my dads whipper snipper also known as an edge trimmer. This probably sounds like an odd product to come to mind, especially for a girl but I help mow and trim the lawns, and trimming using this whipper snipper has become a huge long process.

The whipper snipper my father owns is a Ryobi, 2 cycle petrol trimmer.  The main flaw in the design is that the starting up sequences is to long and complicated.  Edge trimmers are meant to make mowing the lawn easier and tidier, but neatly cutting the edges of the grass, so why make the starting up process so unnecessarily long and difficult.

Steps to start the edge trimmer:

1.              Put ignition switch in the ON position

2.              Fully press and release primer bulb 5 to 7 times (Fuel should be visible in the bulb)

3.              Place the choke lever in the FULL CHOKE position

4.              With the unit on the ground squeeze the throttle trigger and pull starter rope briskly until the engine sounds like it wants to run

5.              Place the choke lever in the PARTIAL CHOKE position

6.              Pull starter rope briskly 1 to 3 times to start the engine

7.              If the engine does not start repeat steps 3 to 6.

I do not understand how this products starting process needs to be so complex. The design of this product needs to have a look into this starting process because its to difficult. It would be so much easier if you only had to push one button or put one lever in a position then pull the starter rope to make it start, similar to how mowers start.   

Although other than this long process for starting up, the main rest of the design is very good, and satisfies the needs of the users. By helping to cut the edge of grass areas neatly it makes a mowed section of grass look neatly cut and fresh.

 

Kate

http://www.gardenmachinesltd.co.uk/ryobi-rlt26cds-starteasy-26cc-2-stroke-petrol-strimmer-239-p.asp 

The cows' revenge...

Ok, so who here has bought a 2L bottle of milk? Not the one or the three, but the 2L rounded oblong 'thing' that resides in your fridge. For those of you who have, I'm sure you would be able to relate to the impossible task of pouring yourself a glass of milk without having to wipe up any 'drippage' if I may use such a term.

 

So you go to open a new bottle; 9/10 times the the security ring comes off with the cap. Sigh. Grab youself a glass. Easy. You grab the tiny handle with three fingers (four couldn't possibly fit) and you try to aim the flow into the cup below. You may think you are aiming for your glass, only to find that the milk has founds its way down the side of the bottle and dribbling anywhere but where you are aiming. FRUSTRATING. You go to tilt the bottle further to cause what one could only describe as a MILKY WAY!! Not only have you not had your daily dietry requirement, but now you find yourself having to grab a ShamWow ;) to start wiping the bench. You soon discover that it has also gone down the side of the cupboard and before you know it you are on your hands and knees cleaning up what should have been in your glass in the first place.

 

Maybe one would think that I can't pour myself a glass of milk properly, but in my defence, the overall shape and handle design make a 2L bottle somewhat awkward to hold. Having the handle located on the top of bottle, makes it harder to control the effect of the weight the bottle has when pouring. The 1L bottle is fine because it is small enough to fit in ones hand, and the 3L bottle is easier because it has a much larger, proper sized handle that an average human hand can hold.

 

Where's the straw...

 

Matthew Van

 

Reference:

http://www.getalookatthis.com/2007/10/27/milk-spill-captured-with-high-speed-photography/

Hole In The Wall

Yep, ATM's.  Im not a fan if im honest, and I find it difficult to believe that a whole lot of thought was really put into the interface of your avereage ATM.

For starters, there all really low.  Now granted i'm quite a lot taller than most people, but when ever i walk up to an ATM i have to reach right down to use the buttons.  And once i've reached the buttons, the experience becomes none the more joyous. some ATM's don't bother to tell you witch way round the card must go, so i may well spit it back out and say try again, and then you have to navigate through the transaction with horrible buttons that often dont line up with whats being shown on the screen.  Many a time have I pressed the wrong button trying to figure out what the button is assigned to. 

My least favorite part of ATM's though is that to prevent pin code theft or the like, rather than incorporating some cover to stop people seeing your code or something along thise lines, the image on the screen suggests you cover your typing hand with your free hand.  Why?? How is this a good solution?? I personaly dont bother because to do this i must lean right down to get both hands to the level of the buttons, and it's all a bit of a fuss. 

Perhaps a little more thought should be put into this everyday interface.

Anyway, rant over.

Nathan Ide

The Dash

Without wanting to open a giant can of worms (no I don't think radios should be taken out of cars), I can't think of any car that has a dash that isn't designed to completely derail the drivers focus from being on the road.. With the growing abundance of features for cars such as gps, ipod compatibility, advanced driver settings for off road or sports vehicles, drivers are constantly being distracted by features that aren't related to the task of driving which are controlled using a series of tiny buttons. Now of course these are luxuries that people opt for, so that isn't really the issue, but rather the fact that the interface is cluttered with ten's of buttons and dials, often unlabeled or labeled with symbols that are unique for each model of car.
 But the most problematic flaw in a majority of these interface designs is the direction, which doesn't face the driver but rather the people in the back seat (who, by the way can't reach). Arguably this is because by having the screen flat on the dash it allows both the co- and driver to see it. but that isn't much of a consolation  for the when your only excuse for causing a 42 car pile up is "105.1 was playing Bon Jovi....AGAIN".

-Alex B

The Crappiest Invention of All Time

After much thought about this weeks blog post I have come to the end of the roll of choices to talk about, none other than the toilet. In particular the automatic flushing system that is available in some public toilets today.

 

Hands-free toilet technology has a real stink to it. There are three key points one must understand that a good loo should allow you to do.

 

1)    Clean the pool. No one likes to go on top of someone else's. A real difficult if you are jumping up and down in front of the sensor because the last flush did not leave a clean pool.

2)    Clean the pool, again. No one has to admit it, but I am sure some of us are more prolific than others. This is when the user wants to be courteous to the patron after so they do not have to experience Point 1.

3)    Courtesy flush. If you plan on dropping the kids off at the pool, and plan on spending some extra time there contemplating life or reading the newspaper. Please oh please, flush. The kids do not need to linger any longer than they need to. Send them on their way.

 

The automatic flushing toilet just makes the above tasks much harder. Not only that, it confiscates power from its users! I guess though people are expecting new technology even in their public toilets, and shopping malls are supplying them with it, and with saying that the technology is getting smart as time goes on and more economical. Especially with the advancement of sensors and their ability to decipher between dark and light, as they work on absorbing laser light instead of reflecting it back to the sensor. Although this sort of technology will cost more upfront, but the repairs are not arising because of people "drop kicking" the flush button like Jackie Chan, in avoidance to touch that dreaded flush button. The hygiene benefits win with the "hands-free" approach however, prior to this creation, the foot-pedal flush was working just fine. No questions as to what had touched that pedal before, because you are using the sole of your shoe. And hey, no worries if that first flush was not enough, just give it another boot and your loot will have gone down the shoot.

 

Just something to consider if you are reading this on an electronic device whilst taking some time out sitting on the throne, we all know you do it.

 

- mote

 

Resources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voPWIGAAxng&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLB0E77127E5D06C2D

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYW6C44zo24&feature=related

Fisher & Paykel washing machine and dryer

My choice of product this week was based mainly on personal use and experience. In terms of washing machines and dryers I believe that Fisher & Paykel have done an excellent job in designing an easy to use interface, especially for those of us who weren't so practiced in the art doing our own laundry. My old washing machine and a lot of the others that we looked at when it died had a few dials with a few numbers around them and that was about it. With the Fisher & Paykel interface there is no more room for excuses in terms of using the machines. For the last 5 years using this product has been effortless. The layout is read left to right with easy to change default settings and simply explained options. Now I'm not saying that it has to be this way as its not hard to remember which dials are turned to which numbers, but then again, who really cares.

 

In terms of the execution of the product itself, the quality is great. They are reliable and well manufacture machines that are easy to install. The other thing that made installation hassle free was the inclusion of 2 interface stickers to allow for the option of hanging the dryer on the wall (as in picture). Because of this you can also notice how they placed the power and start button together with the options on the side so that it didn't read an unconventional right to left when up side down.

 

The only downside I would have to say for these machines is the water and energy ratings, which are far from the leading options on the market today. With the electricity and water prices at the stage they are now, I would have to say this would most likely be the deciding factor, but in terms of interface I believe Fisher & Paykel hit the nail on the head.

 

Ps. Sorry for the poor image quality

 

Sean H

Digital Watch

There's was a lot of products that came to me when i was trying to think of something that didn't work just right, in fact just about every product is flawed in some way.  From experience I've found watches, mainly digital, but also multifunction analogue watches are notoriously hard to use.  A digital watch generally fits so many functions into itself but it also has extremely small space to fit buttons to control all these features.  A digital watch will generally have three or four buttons, these control all the different features of the watch as well as changing the date, time and alarm.  This is where most people come to grief, when i worked in a watch repair shop it was an almost daily ritual of someone coming in asking us to change the time, or how to set an alarm, they either couldn't read the functions on the buttons, there weren't any or they weren't even relevant, in some watches the light button is a main button in the setting process,.  Some were so hard we would sometimes have to hang on to it just to look up the instructions on the internet.

    I don't so much blame the people that designed the watches, they have an extremely limited space and,�if people want all these features then the buttons must be put on there somewhere.  Its just seems the case that unless you're willing to read and memorize (or keep handy) the instructions then you may as well just resign yourself to the fact that you're never going to properly be able to use your watch.

 

    Now, on a side note, i think this blog has a grudge against me, first it doesn't let me post pictures and now it won't let me comment, i'd ask if anyone else was having the same problem but if they were they wouldn't be able to let me know... so this blog would be up there with things that also, don't work too well.

Ross

Computerised Interaction Analogies.

Right; now this one may seem a little esoteric at first but as long as you keep in mind that I am writing about the idea of interacting with a device through an interface that allows for corresponding X-Y movement rather than the idea of a computer mouse itself we should all be fine.

On our side of the globe the invention of the computer mouse is attributed to Douglas Engelbart who to this day is still being awarded patents and who recently created an iPhone app version of another one of his inventions - the chorded keyboard.

Engelbart funnily enough pitched his work as a push to "change the world" and augment human intellect (as outlined in his 2008 book Evolving Collective Intelligence) - I'd say he's done a pretty good job.

On preparation for this post I stumbled upon an interesting post by Derek Sivers which explained the relationship between ideas and their executions as a matter of multipliers, here's how he explained it:

"AWFUL IDEA = -1

WEAK IDEA = 1

SO-SO IDEA = 5

GOOD IDEA = 10

GREAT IDEA = 15

BRILLIANT IDEA = 20

NO EXECUTION = $1
WEAK EXECUTION = $1000
SO-SO- EXECUTION = $10,000
GOOD EXECUTION = $100,000
GREAT EXECUTION = $1,000,000
BRILLIANT EXECUTION = $10,000,000

To make a business, you need to multiply the two."

Therefore even a brilliant idea with weak execution is worth less than a so-so idea with so-so execution...

I don't know if i agree with the direct mathematics of the explanation but I certainly agree with the interrelated format.

As a side note, I feel for this project I invested time and energy into cementing a good idea but I'm yet to hit the big bucks in terms of execution.

Anyway, back to computers. I feel that the core of the idea to interact with a computing device through basic directional analogies (i.e. as it stands now up, down, left and right) is in fact a good one; gone are the days that we lowly personal computer sit there scratching our heads in front of a flashing MS-DOS or UNIX command line. The interesting thing to note here is that despite the fact that mouses are an incredibly widely used interface they may not in fact be the best way to get your thoughts through your hand and onto the screen (or purely thoughts onto the screen but ill give it a few years yet). This idea does not usually bode well with a fair majority of computer users and it's easy to see that Engelbart has indeed changed our collective intelligence however over the last few years we have seen a shift that has been brewing for over a decade now the all knowing and all seeing touch (and lets not forget multitouch) interface. An early computer that sought to strip the mouse execution from directional interaction idea was actually the 20th anniversary Macintosh. My Dad used one of these as his work computer back in the day and for any of you Seinfeld nut out there one of these appeared on his desk without a mention during season 9. This machine was a strange one; it sported a Bose speaker system, a beefy 97 meg hard drive a 200 meg optical disc to teach you how to use the detachable TRACKPAD?! on a desktop?! 

I have since dug up said disc and it really does tell the story that Apple was trying to push of refreshing execution. As another side note Apple was also the first personal computer manufacturer to include a mouse - sure, it had one button but still.

Apple realised the imperfection in the market (one which they created) and sought to fix it and now the majority other unit sales have a touch interface with peripherals available for those who don't.

Two wheels to ball to optical to touch - a truly brilliant idea never dies while it is continuously refreshed in new and exciting ways.

-Tahl

Links:

Strangely formatted bit on Engelbart: http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/compmouse.htm

A nice evolution of the mouse article: http://weburbanist.com/2009/04/05/evolution-of-the-mouse-classic-to-cutting-edge/

Picture of mac: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=20th+anniversary+mac&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1663&bih=856&tbm=isch&tbnid=yNVBf00zja9INM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Twentieth_Anniversary_Macintosh.jpg&docid=dAusQcTCXMNBSM&w=784&h=588&ei=oCWQTskxodKYBc-drAY&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=395&vpy=165&dur=371&hovh=182&hovw=243&tx=190&ty=69&page=1&tbnh=149&tbnw=199&start=0&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0

http://www.mir.com.my/mpug/Mac-Profile/20thCenturyMac/mainPix.jpg

Why are my hands still wet?

So we've all gone to a public toilet, sometimes in a rush, done our business, then washed our hands only to notice that there's no paper towel and instead we have to use a automatic/manual hand dryer. Their promise; to dry our hands in a top speed time. Only....where's the button? How do I turn it on? Why did it only dry for 10 seconds? How far away do my hands need to be? Why is it cold air? WHY ARE MY HANDS STILL WET?

I know that I've come across many different designs for hand dryers, many of them failing to do their job unless you stand there for more than 3-4mins in which that time you could've used a paper towel and gone back to partying. Many times I have found especially with automatic dryers that I have no idea where the sensor is, so I look totally stupid trying to wave my hands around the whole dryer and it does nothing. Even though there are dryers that tell the user where the sensor is, many of the times you have to put it a certain distance away/close to the dryer in order for it to turn on.

Another thing to consider with hand dryers is the user time, most of the dryers only last for about 10-15secs before you have to re-press the button or wave your hand, which can be pretty frustrating when you have to press a wet button and get your hands wet again. 

The latest in hand dryers is the design by Dyson, which I have had the pleasure of using before. What I do like about it is that it doesn't turn off until your hands are fully out of the sensor area. But while it is much faster than all of its other competitors I can't help but feel, with any hand dryer that my hands just don't feel as dry like when I use paper towel. I don't know maybe I'm just being picky..

Mey Chiam

APPLE MAC BOOK, stupid hard exterior casing edges!!!!

I have never owed a Mac, (I can hear all the glasses dropping) but I am not a hater, I am actually waiting on the purchase of a new iMac. But one thing I have always noticed through using all the Mac books owned by my friends and class mates in recent years is the stupid, annoying sharp fold line which surrounds the top edge of base. May I point out for anyone who has not experienced this is that it happens to sit right on your wrist and after about half an hour of typing your left with a nice red mark that then makes everyone think your an emo.

Compared to other PC's on the market, the Mac seems to be the only one which Has this problem. Other makes like Asus, Dell, and Hp all have edges which curve down, or have a softer radius. So why have Apple done this, was it done for a reason? I have done a quick bit of research and all i could find was a bunch of forums where people were complaining about the problem and offering suggestions on how to fix it (I did actually see someone write "sand paper helps"........).

I know Apple have a very conservative house design style, and that they are renowned for being very different and making it easier for the user. Now, I have two bones to pick with that last making things easier statement. #1, this is a problem that makes user interaction uncomfortable = BAD!  #2, there are always circles of middle aged people in Apple stores who are being taught by a genius! on how to use their new ipones the surf the foreign  interweb...

 

 After close inspection to the Mac Book, underneath it has a slight radius on all the edges, did Apple ever think to reverse the body, that would fix the problem... or mabey the tool maker was too busy playing angry birds and put the die in upside down...

 

Tom G

Phone Interfaces

It's probably something that most of us do multiple times a day and has now become just another part of our daily lives...texting.    

I love the idea that we can send someone a message instantaneously that doesn't rely on the receiver being available to take the call like a phone call would. It also gives the user a sense of privacy; only you and the recipient can see the message and texting in a public place may be much more appropriate then a phone call.

Even with this in mind I've never been a fan of texting on a mobile phone. This may be because of the phones I've owned but I find myself constantly frustrated that it isn't as easy as using an actual keyboard. I know this may be almost technologically impossible but it still annoys me.  My current phone is an old nokia that's about 4ish years old, one where each button is either three or four letters. While this can be absolute pain to type out longer messages it's great for quick little texts. Because each button does numerous functions, less buttons are needed and it means that we can also have larger buttons. Even people with stubby fingers can easily press each button without pressing down any other unwanted letters, a problem many people can have with smart phones and blackberry style phones.   

 We have since got phones that have full QWERTY keyboards and smart phones that use a touch screen keyboard. I've used all of these interfaces and still have to say that the interface that my phone uses is my favourite. All these are other methods of texting are trying to emulate a keyboard but are falling short in comparison with a real keyboard.  While the touchscreen keyboards let us tip the keyboard sideways to access a larger keyboard, I believe that as users, feeling the button move when pressed is something that definitely helps the user interact with the product .

Stefan    

i CAN open this!

Something I think seriously needs some interface improvement is the CAN. While cans are pretty easy to hold, recyclable, and quick and easy to produce, they're pretty difficult to open. When I was little and had tiny hands (even smaller than now... wow!) I would always spill my drink - or whatever else was in the can - because I wasn't strong enough to open the pull tab lid. While this can be good as it kind of childproofs the can, it is still difficult for adults - you have to hold the can very steady to avoid knocking it over, and it's very hard to do with just one hand - especially if you have small ones like me. However one thing I do need to say in the pull tab's favour: that snap sound as you open it - love it!

I'm not entirely sure on how this interface issue could be improved to make the can more user-friendly, as other types of can openings are just as difficult - for example, a can that needs to be opened using a can opener. I don't know about you guys, but with these I still manage to spill everything out the side - maybe I'm just super uncoordinated? But the jagged edges aren't all that user-friendly either. 

The big plus for the aluminium cans is definitely not the opening of it, but its disposability and recyclability, and that's why, despite me spilling a little of my drink almost every time, I'll keep using them.

Holly

something i found interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Y0zAzoggY