Amazing oversight, Techie toys part 1 of 3
By Kenneth Maage. Thursday, 14. December 2006, 10:30:35
With Christmas upon us, I thought I'd blog about every child's favorite realm for the use of technology: Toys.
We just bought Amazing Amanda for our niece, and this little gem of a quote was the first thing in the instruction manual. How could any toy begin with the words, "before you can play?" It's like a Big Mac with a label, "before you can eat this burger..."
Toys = play. It's the mathematics of childhood. Why would you add any other variables to that perfectly balanced equation?
Well, Amanda has certain features that are time-dependent. She "wakes up" at the same time as your child, she knows when Christmas and other holidays are (though there was nothing in the instructions about Kwanzaa or Hanukkah--the doll is Norwegian, I might mention).
But is time-dependence any reason to cripple her main function? (Play, in case you forgot, like the designers did). By erecting a barrier like this, you're saying that the user cannot continue without completing these tasks. The true story is that in a computer, it is often easier to make one brick wall than to build indivual boxes around all the affected functions.
So Amanda can't say, "Time for lunch, mama!"* She can still go potty, get fed, recognize when you brush her hair, change her clothes... The number of different things she can do is pretty...Amazing.
Anytime you feel the need to popup a dialog box, (Usability principle) stop and think: What can the user still do? You'll have a huge list, and you'll see that your super-important must-be-decided-now forcing function really only affects one tiny part of the user experience. Instead, build little boxes around just the things that really can't be done. Is it more difficult, slightly. Is it worth it, absolutely! When it's done right, the user feels like your technology is actually helping them instead of just getting in the way.
* For students of Norwegian, that's "Nå er det lunsjtid, mama!"
Part 2 Some assembly required: Buyers as users, Part 3 Just like me!: Anthropomorphism
...before you can begin to play with Amazing Amanda, you must set the correct date and time.
We just bought Amazing Amanda for our niece, and this little gem of a quote was the first thing in the instruction manual. How could any toy begin with the words, "before you can play?" It's like a Big Mac with a label, "before you can eat this burger..."
Toys = play. It's the mathematics of childhood. Why would you add any other variables to that perfectly balanced equation?
Well, Amanda has certain features that are time-dependent. She "wakes up" at the same time as your child, she knows when Christmas and other holidays are (though there was nothing in the instructions about Kwanzaa or Hanukkah--the doll is Norwegian, I might mention).
But is time-dependence any reason to cripple her main function? (Play, in case you forgot, like the designers did). By erecting a barrier like this, you're saying that the user cannot continue without completing these tasks. The true story is that in a computer, it is often easier to make one brick wall than to build indivual boxes around all the affected functions.
So Amanda can't say, "Time for lunch, mama!"* She can still go potty, get fed, recognize when you brush her hair, change her clothes... The number of different things she can do is pretty...Amazing.
Anytime you feel the need to popup a dialog box, (Usability principle) stop and think: What can the user still do? You'll have a huge list, and you'll see that your super-important must-be-decided-now forcing function really only affects one tiny part of the user experience. Instead, build little boxes around just the things that really can't be done. Is it more difficult, slightly. Is it worth it, absolutely! When it's done right, the user feels like your technology is actually helping them instead of just getting in the way.
* For students of Norwegian, that's "Nå er det lunsjtid, mama!"
Part 2 Some assembly required: Buyers as users, Part 3 Just like me!: Anthropomorphism
WIDGETIZE
Eddie_Lopez # 14. December 2006, 15:14
The idea that I my browser was blocked completely from the site irked me. I didn't want to use the service of the site at all, I just wanted to read an "about" page or find out more about who they were, or what they did.
But since there was an AJAX/Opera conflict of some sort, all I got was the typical "denied" page (as I like to call it). There was still *plenty* of things I could have done on the website, but they forced me to leave without having any idea who or what they were (so I assumed they were a secret society until proven otherwise)
Eddie_Lopez # 14. December 2006, 15:19
This reminds me of the old joke:
"How do you say 'Opera' in Norwegian?"
"Uhhh....Opera."
"Wow.. same as in english! Or as they say in Norway: 'same as in english!'"
kmaage # 15. December 2006, 13:31
Here's me and a native Norwegian saying "Opera" both ways. English then Norwegian.
But about the post, I've got two more planned. Early and late next week.
Cheers!