Personally, I like it well done.
Time for a riddle. What’s often not seen until it’s gone?
The answer? Good User Experience.
Good UX is like good health: you take it for granted while it's there, but when you experience the lack thereof, oh man, does it hurt.
Let’s take my mom, Gina, for example. If she gets through her day with minimal frustration and confusion, she’s a happy camper. But what happens when it seems like her online world is coming crashing down? She can’t find that email with the address she needs. She can’t figure out how to book a Lyft with the ride credits I gave her. Her Android has 6 contacts for each person she knows (one from Facebook, another from Google+, separate email addresses… and so forth) and she has to tap through them all just to get a phone number. It’s these days that bad UX really stands out. But on good days, when everything seems to go right, you often don’t even know it’s there.
As a User Experience Designer, I tend to notice these little things. In my other Medium posts, I’ve identified UX pain points and made suggestions for improvements. But I’m someone who also strongly believes in celebrating successes. Here is a collection of user experiences done well in the everyday world.
- Whole Foods
What an easy way to make customers smile at checkout, which can be a tedious and awful experience at times. There you stand, wondering how much of a dent these groceries are going to put in your wallet. This is an ideal moment to infuse some good UX like Whole Foods has done here with their grocery dividers. Plus, it makes me think that Whole Foods a) values attention to detail and b) truly cares about their customers.
2. The Melt
“How much longer is this going to take? Do I have time to go to the bathroom first?” “Did they forget about my order?” “I ordered and paid on my mobile… should I confirm with the person at the register to make sure it was received?” All of these questions are answered with The Melt’s Order Board. It keeps customers happy by setting our expectations and acknowledging that we exist and we weren’t forgotten about! What a simple thrill! But do you know what else this magical Order Board does? It lets the employees at the register focus on taking and delivering orders, rather than fielding questions about the status of existing orders. Now that’s good UX on all sides.
3. Caltrain
Ok, so not everything is UX friendly on Caltrain. But it’s worth calling out what’s done right! It would make sense for a door to only have one handle/ button to open it. And that handle/ button would be where most doors are opened from: in arm’s length. However, this door here has a “Push to Open” button in arm’s AND foot’s length, so it’s easy to kick open. Maybe it’s an ADA requirement, or maybe the door designer did some field research and saw a woman with 2 kids in her arms, or a man with laptop in one arm and coffee in the other, struggling to open the door with their hands. Either way, having multiple options is a nice touch.
4. Embarcadero Center Retail Directory
You know those shopping mall directories that list what feels like a hundred stores, and you have to browse through them all to find the store you’re looking for? The Retail Directory at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco avoids this entirely. With their interactive map, you can search for the store, cafe, or restaurant you’re looking for, and it will give you specific directions from where you’re standing. Of course it also lets you browse by category, without the pesky problem of information overload. As a bonus, you can access BART and MUNI train schedules. How cool is that for a tourist, or even a local like me?!
5. Bowflex
These weights almost make me want to start lifting… almost. (For now, I’ll leave the chest presses to my boyfriend.) But I was amazed at the UX of these babies. With a simple turn of the dial, you can select your weight of choice, replacing the need for a whole set. After all, that wouldn’t work in a tiny- ahem- cozy San Francisco apartment. Thanks, Bowflex!
So there it is. My top 5 impressive UX picks of the week. I love the intersection of physical and digital UX, and am looking to join a team (San Francisco, NYC, London, Amsterdam) that encompasses both. Please get in touch if you think I’d make a good fit for your team. I’d also love to hear from you if you’d like to celebrate any other UX designs done well!
With good UX design, we have the power to end frustration and inconvenience once and for all. Or, at the very least, it can make us smile, which also makes the world a better place. ☺