EverydayUX Blog

Clearly representing system status is valuable in everything from a car's fuel tank to a container of parmesan cheese. It lets the user know what, if any, limited resources remain, and when the user should act to replace them.

Photo originally by imgur user "vsng" on March 25, 2020. The original post read: "Went to Costco this morning to buy some apples and oranges for my toddler. Saw that Costco pre-stock[ed] toilet paper on these carts for shoppers that need them. The carts are wiped down and disinfected too. Very thoughtful!"

One should know their audience or user base and design to meet their needs and behaviors. These are stickers commonly found on home appliances in the US (left) and EU (right), in this case new LCD televisions. Other than their styling, it's clear that the US label focuses more on immediate monetary cost of using the product, while the EU version speaks more to monitoring energy consumption (and, by extension, environmental impact). Therefore, designs around these topics that target these difference audience should keep these priorities in mind.

Access for the disabled is just as important as any other aspect in a design. Oddly, the buttons on top of the machine are directly selectable, while the buttons on the accessibility "band-aid" require users to select the black button to the right of the flavor label. It probably would have been cheaper to put a single set of buttons and interaction patterns where everyone (standing or sitting) could reach them.

The value of design comes from how easily a customer can understand and use your product. Be straightforward, and don't hide crucial details behind marketing fluff.

The controls for this sky crane clearly show how to control each segment of the machine and their respective directions of motion.

It's easy for customers to see the value of a product of you align it to their intended goals.

Each of the spaces in this parking garage have a small LED light above them. When the space is occupied, the light is red. When open, it's green, making it easy for people hunting for a spot to find one.

If your product isn't easily differentiated, people might buy the wrong one.

The wayfinding sign in the Hart Senate Office Building avoids using a hard-to-recognize arrow to suggest the viewer turn around to reach rooms 109-112. Sometimes simple, straightforward language works best.

This taco stays stable as you load it up with toppings. A little extra work on the production side saves the end user a lot of trouble.

This cake slicer saves time and effort by doubling as a pair of tongs or a spatula. Now the user needs only one tool to both cut and lift the slice of cake. As an added benefit, all the slices will be the same size.

If your customers understand what your product will do for them, they are more likely to see its value. Just be straightforward.

Affordances will always override signage. In this case, despite the airport designer's wishes, the end of the jet bridge serves as a useful, nearby space to store an unoccupied wheelchair once its former occupants have boarded the plane.

While the number of controls on this sound mixing board may appear overwhelming at first, the product's design makes heavy use of Gestalt grouping, zebra striping, and contrasting colors to make it easier to find and manipulate the correct control.

Feedback is information about the outcome of an action that the user after the action has taken place. Feedforward, on the other hand, gives the information before they take an action.