Dave (Malouf), In some cases, I think designs are being created for systems that do not get the same kind of "free market" competition that most commercial products must face. The software on the Boston subway's Charlie kiosk is not paid for (at least not directly) by the riders of the subway system. They can't decide to use a different fare system.
The system was purchased by the MBTA, which probably doesn't have the skills or knowledge to evaluate the interaction design of the system and understand the impact a poor interaction design will have. Once the system has been implemented, there likely isn't any recourse for the riders or even for the MBTA who is now stuck with it. So who is responsible for the design problems? The MBTA? The employees at the MBTA who decided to purchase that kiosk system? The company that sold the kiosks%u2014Scheidt & Bachmann USA, Inc.? The product managers at Scheidt & Bachmann? Or the interaction designers at Scheidt & Bachmann who created the system? Who should be held accountable for this poor design? Right now, I don't think anyone is. And I'm not saying the responsible party should be ostracized or punished in some way either. But if no one has to take responsibility for the impact of the design, how will things ever improve? I was interested in seeing how many other systems are like this, to try to get a sense of the impact. From your examples, I think that electronic voting systems definitely fall into this category. -dave David B. Rondeau Design Chair InContext Design ( http://www.incontextdesign.com ) http://twitter.com/dbrondeau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43446 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
