Self Checkout Nightmare
02/08/2009 – in: Interaction Design
Self checkout machines were tested already in 1997. According to NCR, the leading manufacturer of this product, more than 140 retailers from 12 different retail segments and over 20 countries use their solution.
The benefit for the customer is shorter queues but the reality is that these machines can be a usability nightmare. Using the product weight to verify that people do not steal is the main reason for this product failure. The machine often fails to register the item’s weight which time after time display the notorious message ‘Unexpected Item in Bagging Area’
Scenarios like rearranging items to different bags and replacing a damaged bag obviously have not been considered and will require special assistant.
People do not understand how these machines work and get interrupted in the process without getting any feedback how to refrain from making the same error again.
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Saatchi Gallery next to Sloane Square tube
28/07/2009 – in: Art
The Saatchi Gallery has been moving locations from St John’s Wood 1985 >> Country Hall, South Bank 2003>> Kings road, Chelsea 2008.
The first great thing I have seen there was Richard Wilson’s 20:50, which was a room filled halfway with oil, making the observer feel disoriented because the ceiling was reflected in the oil. When the gallery moved to the Country Hall, it was a statement because you could see provocative modern art inside an historic building and there was an interesting dissonance between the exhibits and the space. The Saatchi Gallery in 2009 is amazing with lots of inspiring art works.
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Tesco’s Smoke Generating Security Equipment
28/07/2009 – in: Services
If you saw this mysterious sign and felt like the confused person in it, you are not alone… Tesco is now using a security system which generates fog to confuse thieves during a burglary. The sign says that Tesco can’t accept responsibility for any injuries caused by illegal entry which immedialty makes you think that some sort of poisonous gas is involved in the process… Let’s just hope this security system will not operate on innocent shoppers!
To see it in action click here.
Babylon is misbehaving
08/07/2009 – in: Interaction Design
For quite a while, I was using a Babylon plugin for Firefox which enabled me to mark text and get instant translation. Recently, the plugin forced me to update and after the update was completed I noticed that my browser default search and homepage was changed to Babylon. I thought that this was a dirty trick and changed my settings back. Few seconds later, a Babylon pop-up appeared telling me that if I want to use the product for free I need to make Babylon my default search provider and home-page…
Changing my browser setting without asking? good bye Babylon, I have uninstalled the plugin. Quick search and I got IM translator for free. Instead of messing up with the browser setting, it shows ads when the translation window is open which is acceptable.
No Comments | Tags: babylon, firefox, translatorYou know when it is Rocol
08/07/2009 – in: Interaction Design
Rocol ltd is one of the rail industries oldest suppliers of anti-slip panels and treads.
If you have ever used the tube, it is almost certain that you have walked over a Rocol product.
What I found fascinating about Rocol’s anti-slip panels is that on almost each one of them the name of the company and phone number are printed in steel. In some countries, window makers engrave their number into the wooden frame so you can call if you have a problem with it. Rocol has made sure that no matter which stair you are on, you would see their contact details just in case you need an anti-slip solution…
Back To The Future 2009
05/07/2009 – in: Interaction Design
If Back To The Future was released in 2009, what would the interface look like?
A touch screen with an easy date drop down selector. The ‘last time departed’ area will become a history tab with recent journeys. You will be also be able to decide on the location you want to appear in the past/future… If you wanted to plan a week of time travel, you would be able to use a calendar picker and set a sequence of journeys. Of course you could Update your status with ‘going to 2099 for a weekend’…
Why Last.FM started to annoy me…
18/06/2009 – in: Interaction Design
Last.FM introduced two new features which make you want to listen to something else.
The first one is ‘Are you still listening?’- For a non registered user, not interacting with Last.FM interface for 45 minutes will pause the music and display the ‘Inactivity bear’ icon prompting you to click ‘resume’ if you want to continue listening. The Last.FM forum is already full of people complaining about this nonsense. Many people use their computer as a media center and do not interact with the keyboard at all while listening. The reason behind this is that Last.FM pays for every song played on the user’s computer so the bear doesn’t really care about whether the music is falling on deaf ears as he says, he is just worried about his money. The other feature is an advertisement which shows before the radio starts playing your station. The advertisement playing these days has a very loud hard rock guitar and the volume control has been deliberately disabled which is outrageous! Last.FM used to be a great service but with these new tactics I am not sure how much longer users will bear it.
Annette Messenger at Hayward Gallery
11/06/2009 – in: Art
Annette Messenger is a French artist who was born in 1943. I have seen her latest exhibition in Hayward Gallery on May 2009. My favorite piece was her inflatable sculpture which you can see in the picture. Various forms were sewed one to another and inflated automatically by a machine. It was interesting to see how these forms behaved slightly different after each time they were inflated. In another room, Messenger created a wave made from fabric, generated by fans which were sequenced to blow one after the other. There were also some illustration drawn on photographs of faces which looked very dramatic.
GoCar- GPS guided tours
14/05/2009 – in: Services
If you are a tourist, visiting a new place, you can now drop your map and take a ride on GoCar yellow 3 wheelers… A human voice will tell you where to go as well as information about what is around you and some jokes… This service is currently available in Barcelona, Lisbon, Miami, San Diego and San Francisco. The price starts from 35 Euros for one hour up to 99 Euros for a whole day. GoCar has agreements with some locations to allow you to drive there for free. You will need a credit card and a drivers license to get a GoCar. This seems like a really useful service when you don’t know the city you are in.
‘Offf’ festival 2009- ‘Fail Gracefully’
12/05/2009 – in: Design
‘Offf’ is a design festival focusing on Graphic Design, Motion Graphics and Interactive Design. This year, the festival took place in Oeiras, Portugal and lasted 3 days. Some of the highlights were Stefan Sagmeister, who came on stage wearing a dress and helped us to understand how to become happier , Karsten Schmidt’s amazing digital animation for Audi and Nokia, Pes’ ‘Human Skateboard’ Stop-Motion animation, Chris Milk’s video clips for the Chemical Brothers and the collaboration between Amit Pitaru and James Paterson which connected beautifully between dance and animation.