Here are a few: 1. Almost everything older than 2 years, these days, is unusable (see blog post here: http://www.bryanminihan.com/blog/?p=75)
2. Thermostats: A lot of people (everywhere I've lived) have both a heater and AC. Why can't thermostats automatically switch the heat on, and the AC off without having to manually switch? You can buy such a beast, but why isn't it standard? 3. Air Registers: Those clunky metal things on the floor with the high-gloss thumb controls that only a professional X-box gamer can operate. They don't block air when closed, and they shoot straight up when open. 4. Outside Electric meters: Why can't the danged thing just tell me how much money I'm spending/wasting? 5. Smoke Alarms: How hard would it be to make the "hush" button easier to hit with a broomstick? How many people have these things installed within arm's reach? 6. Lawn Mower height controls: Maybe it's just mine, but to change the height of my lawn mower, I have to shift some impossibly gunked up slider on all four wheels to the exact same position. How about putting some numbers on those dials, so I don't end up mowing an inverted ziggurat into my lawn. 7. Motion-sensing toilets: Please add a "pause" button. My 6 yo son is afraid of loud toilets, and the only thing I can do is hold my hand over the IR sensor until he leaves and plugs his ears. Bryan Minihan Phone: 919-428-4744 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanminihan Resume: http://www.bryanminihan.com/resume.html Web Portfolio: http://www.bryanminihan.com/portfolio.html Blog: http://www.bryanminihan.com/blog/ -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Catherine Ryan Sent: Monday, September 28, 2009 5:16 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Unusable things OK - so we work in the world of digital. Here the affordance is a perceived one. But what about our real lives? Here's the thing - I want to start a list of unusable real life things.... 1. Elevator buttons: when I press the wrong floor (which is quite the frequent occasion in my uncaffienated state before 12pm) why can't I "unpress" my mistake? 2. Toilet doors: why does one open in and the next out. Furthermore - why wash your hands when you must touch germ-ridden door handles after the fact? If there is ever a need to have automatic doors - here it is. 3. Coffee cups without handles: OK - I'm a great lover of style and aesthetics, however when it burns my hands off...I'd find it more classy to have a handle and not have tears in my eyes from lifting my beloved caffeine to my mouth. ________________________________________________________________ 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 ________________________________________________________________ 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
