Brain Logic, LLC

Is this Relationship Over?

2011-03-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

Often companies realize a software application or web site they’ve developed for their customers’ is not what their customers would have designed for themselves. In many cases this realization occurs after going to production. As a result, customers are left to deal with cumbersome software or web site and unable to accomplish the tasks they need to complete. In today’s competitive marketplace customers have many options. And when the alternative solution is easier to use a loyal customer can quickly become a former customer.

Tangible and intangible impacts of poorly designed systems can be profound for companies. Trust between the customer and the company may be depleted while tarnishing of the company brand is likely to occur. This type of damage can progress gradually. Until one day the company notices the cumulative results of what’s been happening, and the costly impacts.

An example of this common scenario happened to me the other night as I attempted to book a flight. Both the online and over the phone ticket processing systems failed and as a result the ranking of my once preferred airline plummeted. Currently I’m hovering in the category of former customer.

Here’s what happened…

My first choice for air travel has been with an airline that I’ve flown since 2001. Depending on my travel frequency, I’ve earned various levels of preferred status with the airline so I have been fairly loyal to them. The other night was a different story. Their online ticketing system timed out one step prior to me completing the single ticket purchase. As a result I had to restart the flight booking process from square one. This was a nuisance but having traveled with the airline for years my level of trust was fairly high with them. Plus, I admit, I may have been a bit distracted by the season opener of ‘The Biggest Loser’.

So I entered in all the info for the second time: flight choices, mailing address, credit card info and a few preferences. After closing the window where I’d made my seat selections, a message displayed on the screen telling me my session was about to expire. It asked if I needed more time to finish. I was still actively working on the ticket purchase, and wondered why the session going to expire. I clicked on Yes, I needed more time. One more review of the ticket info and I was ready to buy it.

When I clicked on the PAY NOW button I expected the screen to display a ticket confirmation page. But instead, nothing happened. Having nearly been stung by the‘don’t click again or else you’ll be purchasing a second ticket’ routine in the past, I was hesitant to click the PAY NOW button again. I waited for a few minutes and decided it was safe to click PAY NOW, again. Still no system response and no ticket confirmation page.

At this point I was feeling a bit annoyed. I had been working on this for over an hour. My new friends on ‘The Biggest Loser’ had cumulatively shed 307 pounds, while I still didn’t have a single airline ticket to show for my efforts. It was time for a different approach. I decided to phone the airline to book the ticket instead.

On the phone, the airline reservationist confirmed my online attempts did not result in a booked flight. Ironically, this was good news. She was also quick to inform me it would cost me an additional $25 if she booked the flight for me. If, however, I opted to talk to their Tech Support department about my issue, the $25 booking fee would be waived. Despite feeling like the airlines Quality Assurance Department, I agreed to talk to Tech Support. By this time, I just wanted the flight to be booked and for this experience to be over.

The Tech Support hold message was composed of two words – Please Wait – and they repeated every 10 seconds. After about 3 minutes on hold the two-word repetition stopped and I thought someone was coming on the line to help me. Suddenly a loud noise erupted and the phone call was disconnected. Sigh.

Are you tired of reading about this less than optimal experience? If so you can imagine how I was feeling at this point: frustrated, to say the least. But I’m persistent and decided to give it one more try. I got the airline back on the phone, accelerated the conversation with the reservationist who again sent me to Tech Support. Within two minutes of – Please Wait(s) – the familiar loud noise sounded and then call disconnection, again.

At that point I realized I wasn’t going to be purchasing my ticket from my preferred company for this trip. Deep breath. Calmly I moved on to Plan B.

Plan B

I’d already started my online search for another airline to purchase my ticket. I ended up at Delta only knowing they flew to where I needed to land. This was my first test drive of their online ticketing system, and after the last experience, I didn’t know what to expect.

At Delta, I easily found the dates and times I wanted to fly. As soon as I had selected my destination and dates, the screen displayed an option to have a live chat with a reservationist who could answer any questions I had. After my previous booking experience it was particularly reassuring to know that I had live support at the click of a button, if I needed it.

I entered necessary information, selected my seats and clicked the button to purchase. Voila! In less than ten minutes I booked my travel and I had confirmation my ticket had been purchased. And believe it or not, this ticket cost $48 less than the original ticket I had attempted to purchase with my preferred airline. Again, ironically, good news.

So Plan B worked. I’m excited to have found an alternative airline that’s easy to do business with. But let’s take a moment and look at a few elements influencing this customer experience.

Lesson One: The Relationship

What’s really standing out for me are the factors that combined to influence the customer relationship. Until now I had perceived my relationship with my preferred airlines as give and take. I needed a service, at a fair price and the airline delivered. After a decade of being their customer, I felt like we had more than just a contract. I thought they appreciated me as a customer, at least that’s what all of their marketing materials tell me. But their responses to my situation demonstrated a lack of desired customer engagement with no back-up plan. This experience shifted the scales from a mutually beneficial relationship to a one-sided relationship and ‘my’ side was positioned to seek an alternative.

Lesson Two: Value Decisions

I had enjoyed doing business with my preferred airline and booking my own travel online. But the fact that customers must pay a premium to make a purchase when the remaining purchase options are less than usable displayed a lack of awareness about their customers’ values. This experience demonstrated once again that the basis of the optimal customer experience rests not only in understanding how your customers think. The customer experience is also a reflection of the level of respect a company has for their customers, including their time and their sense of values.

Lesson Three: Is this relationship over?

I’ll share this experience with my preferred airline privately, because they need to know about it and to have the opportunity to improve their systems and processes. They served me well for 10 years and deserve that respect from a loyal customer.

Will I use my preferred airline again? I’m likely to however, I’ll go into the purchase process feeling less confident it will be successful and ready to quickly execute on Plan B.

Note…

There were numerous system and process design factors in play during this scenario impacting my overall buying experience. They’re ripe for evaluation and their resolution will easily improve the attempted ticket purchase both online and via the telephone. I’ll discuss those opportunities within the framework of ‘what Delta did right’ in an upcoming post.

Share your experiences…

Have you interacted with a company whose website or software is really easy to use? Or maybe one that’s not so easy to use? If so, feel free to post thoughts and your comments.

Seven Ways to Build On line Customer Trust

2010-12-08T23:52:00.012-05:00

I was on a hunt to find blue Birkenstock sandals for my daughter. And as the holidays drew closer time to order was running short. Not finding them on the local shopping expedition, I realized my best option was to purchase them on line. After I casually clarified she didn't want the Vegan ones, I was ready to buy. I knew they’d be expensive so I wanted to shop around to see what kind of prices I could find.

Googling gave me a large volume of Birkenstock shopping choices. At the top of the list was my favorite on line department store where I’m a regular shopper. The trust fund there is pretty large so it was a good place to begin. Plus, being a Virgo, loyalty is a fairly significant factor in the customer experience equation. Although I found the sandals she wanted, they were pricey and no discounts applied. So despite the loyalty and trust, I continued my shopping trip.

Next stop was a Birkenstock specialty shop which was new to me. They had a good selection but I found their web site stressful and choppy to navigate. I’m not sure if it was the Log In tab indicating I'd possibly need to join prior to purchase, the Contact Us tab being ‘misplaced’ in the primary navigation, or wondering why there were flags were asking me for a language selection left navigation, it just didn’t feel friendly. I stayed for a moment but then moved on to a third store in search of the blue sandals.

Although the landing page of the third Birkenstock on line shop wasn’t particularly tidy, there were elements about the shopping experience that quickly helped me to feel I could trust this web store. Highlighted are a few key elements that accelerated my willingness to trust this on line resource.

First the home page immediately welcomed me, literally with a Welcome message: Welcome to Birkenstock Central. I felt like they really were glad I was visiting their store.

1.) Make your visitors feel welcomed.

On the landing page there were two main choices: See All Men’s Shoes or See All Women’s Shoes. That’s all I needed --- easy. I clicked on See All Women’s Shoes and quickly located the sandals my daughter wanted. And that style happened to be on sale. Yes!

2.) Design so important info is easy to find and navigate.

One of my concerns about ordering on line from a company I was unfamiliar was the return policy. What if they didn’t fit her or if by Dec. 25th she no longer wanted blue in her wardrobe? Would they take them back? How much would it cost me to ship them back to the company? However, I felt reassured by the message on the web site exclaiming that exchanges were free, so I continued with my transaction.

3.) Make your Return Process and Policy findable and clear. (Hint: 100% Guarantee increases customer confidence.)

About to select her shoe size, I realized the sizes were scaled European and I would need an American translation. Conveniently the shoe size equivalent chart was accessed via a very handy link and in one click I knew what size to order. When I selected her size, the system indicated they were in stock. There was an option to have them wrapped for a few extra dollars but why end a holiday tradition of wrapping gifts until midnight on Christmas Eve. At least I’m usually finished before Santa arrives! I clicked on the big maroon Buy Now button and made my purchase.

4.) Design the system to anticipate customer needs, be obvious and respond as customers expect.

The purchase transaction went smoothly. There were no surprises, and more importantly, no missed info that I needed to go back and fill in. I received a confirmation page thanking me for my order that contained my Order ID. The message told me an email confirmation had been sent to me with the order info, but I still saved the page as a favorite, just in case.

5.) Provide clear feedback from the system indicating what’s been accomplished.

After I placed the order, the system asked if I would take 5 minutes to provide feedback on the purchase transaction. Very proactive, brief and I completed the survey.

6.) Clearly communicate to your customers their experiences matter to your company.

My expectation was that I wouldn’t hear from the company again and I’d likely receive a package within a few days in the mail containing the blue sandals. I felt good about my purchase decision but still had some reservations being it was a first time transaction with the company. Remember Virgo, cautious. I’d wait to see if the goods arrived as expected and then do a full evaluation of Birkenstock Central.

Well the day after I placed my order I received an email from the store providing a link to an up to the minute status of my order. Their brief note told me my order was on track and provided transparency to status info anytime and at my fingertips. It helped increase my trust in the company and confidence in product arrival. Now I‘m wowed!

7.) Transparency reassures the customer and builds trust in the company. Be an open book.

It's evident this company talks to its customers, listens to what they have to say and designs the way they think. They've discovered what's important to me, a typical customer, transformed that information into their on line store and designed for an optimal customer experience. Everyday more companies are realizing the ROI of customer centered design. Why? If this experience stays on its current track, not only will it influence my future purchase decisions at their web store, I'll be more likely to recommend the company to others because they've earned my trust.

A Funny Thing Happened During the Forum

2010-10-20T15:32:00.007-04:00

Before anyone had taken the stage, I knew that hearing from leaders like Jim Collins, A.G. Lafley and Jack Welch would certainly make for a memorable experience. Candid, wise and gutsy these lauded management gurus have earned the respect of leaders around the globe. They were among the long list of business influencers scheduled to share their insights with thousands of attendees who filled Radio City Music Hall during the recent World Business Forum eager to grasp a few golden nuggets of knowledge and perhaps, even catch a glimpse of some emerging markets. As the Part One of this series, I’ll share a few highlights from these three respected global leaders.

Jim Collins on What Not to Do

I was confident Jim Collins would be a high point of the World Business Forum for me. The author of one of my all time favorite books, ‘Good to Great’ and a Peter Drucker Fan like me, he’d definitely hold my attention. And he certainly did. Collins shared many valuable management and leadership insights. One that really resonates with me being a techno-gadget junkie is the ‘Not-to-Do-List’.

Most of us have ‘To Do Lists’, but Collins suggested creating a ‘Not-to-Do List’ and on it is an allowance for time to think through current complex issues as well as plan for the future. With the intrusion of so many electronic gadgets, Collins impressed on us the need to regularly retreat from these distractions and reintroduce the practice of ‘pockets of quiet time’ to allow for hard disciplined thinking. No email, no cell phones, completely untethered, he reserves time every week to be gadget free and submerse in rigorous thinking. I suspect this explains why I received a Monday response to the Friday email I sent him. He really must practice what he preaches.

Lesson Learned:

The importance of pausing and reflecting in order to make progress.

Action:

I applied the principle from the ‘Not-to-Do List’ strategy to allow for the ‘think time’ needed to complete this article.

A.G. Lafley on Being Customer Centered and Bold

My research about A. G. Lafley revealed his relentless efforts to drive customer centered product design as the standard practice at Proctor and Gamble and reinforce connections between that standard and ROI, fostering the sustainability of customer centered practices within the organization. I can’t deny I’m rather OCD about customer-centered design so I was anxious to hear what Lafley had to share on the topic. His stories were humble, suggestions actionable and his insights, brilliant.

These days many of us understand customer centered product and technology design is a win-win. However, companies often still fail to design with a full understanding of what’s really important to their customers. Lafley shared several practices he implemented to better understand P & G’s customers. For example, each time Lafley visited a different country he would select a customer to accompany on a shopping trip. He’d then share the observations made during that shopping excursion with the product development team. This information gathering process has been core to fostering the development of products customers really want to purchase.

When asked what steps he’d suggest taking to introduce customer centered design practices into our own organizations, he spoke a simple but familiar phrase: ‘Just do it’, Lafley explained. He further encouraged us to do everything we can to engage customers to get our experiment going now, and to ‘ask for forgiveness later’. There’s not a lot of downside to engaging the customer in the design process, according to Lafley, but there are lots of upsides. Mainly, we’ll end up with a better product in the short and long term, a product that customers want to purchase.

Another suggestion from Lafley was to do something bold when we got back to the office. Like Collins, Lafley had long respected the works of Peter Drucker. One day he found the courage to boldly reach out to Drucker to request a meeting with him, to which Drucker agreed. As a result of this bold action, the two met often through the subsequent years. And I got the feeling that those times spent talking with, and learning from, Drucker are among Lafley’s finest treasures.

Lessons Learned:

Design with your customers in mind to deliver what your customers really want to purchase.
Be humble, but ready to muster up the courage to be bold as needed.

Action:

I continue to study, teach and help people understand the value of customer centered design.
I didn’t cancel the interview I had with an author of a best-selling book despite the butterflies in my stomach.

Jack Welch – Authenticity in Leadership

I’m not sure I’d find anyone who wouldn’t appreciate hearing the wisdom of Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO who consistently delighted stockholders while growing the company’s $14 billion market value to $410 billion during his fourteen year tenure. From the moment Welch took the stage you could feel his dynamic energy and determination. He was so attentive to the interviewer as well as to members of the audience who asked him questions. And what clearly emerged during the course of the interview was Welch’s authenticity.

Probed about practices he implemented to ‘groom’ employees, Welch graciously explained his theory. In Welch’s opinion, one of the things currently holding back many organizations is their focus on nurturing ‘poor performers’ rather than celebrating the successes of the top 20% and helping to retain high achieving talent. He also emphasized the need to refocus on leadership development which for many reasons, including economic struggles, has been dwindling in recent years.

One of the moments during the Welch interview that still sticks with me is when he received a question from the audience that wasn’t quite clear. Welch respectfully responded with a few questions to gain clarification and then looked to the Interviewer in an attempt to further refine the inquiry. When neither of their efforts led to an understanding of the question to effectively respond, Welch apologized for not having a comment and moved on the next audience question. As the high energy exchange of audience questions and Welch responses continued, his broad range of knowledge radiated through the Forum. And his previous admission to not having an answer to a question revealed not only his self-assurance but also his authenticity as a leader.

Lessons Learned:

There is no imposter to authenticity.
Acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers is a reflection of open mindedness and self-assurance.

Action:

I’m working toward finding my own voice in my writing, and so… here it is world.
Saying ‘I don’t know’ generally changes the conversation for the better.

Summary

So these are a few nuggets that landed in my sack of takeaways from the World Business Forum already influencing my own profession practices. Although my high expectations were more than met by these three well -known leaders, what I didn’t anticipate was to be ‘wowed’ by many other remarkable presenters whose works I was less familiar. In Part 2 of this series, I’ll focus on several of the other powerful messages heard at the World Business Forum that were equally inspiring. And if I effectively implement Collins Principle of setting aside time for rigorous thinking from the ‘Not-to-Do-List’, you can expect it ready to read on October 28th.

Interested in more perspectives on the World Business Forum 2010, check out the following articles from:

Andrea Meyer: Working Knowledge

Kathie Thomas: Fleischman Hillard

Michael Singer: HSM Inspiring Ideas

Terry Starbucker: Ramblings from a Glass Half Full

Spam, Spam, Spam I am… Not

2010-09-16T12:34:00.021-04:00

With the volume of emails I receive in my Inbox, easy access to the Spam button is a feature I appreciate. I can quickly remove over-achieving Spam emails that have snuck past the layers of spam filters and still managed to land in my email Inbox folder, with the click of a button. The design is efficient and intuitive.

Inbox Folder Design

So why not apply that same intuitive design to the Spam folder so I can easily select and click on email that didn’t make it past the Fort Knox of spam filters, but should have? Then I could quickly move those Not Spam emails into my Inbox folder where they belong.

Spam Folder Design

With the current Spam-handling design, I’m unable to indicate whether an email accidentally caught in the web of filters is from a sender I actually want to hear from in the future. And, in order to locate future emails from the wrongfully spammed sender, in addition to checking my Inbox folder, I’ll also need to check my Spam folder. The current design adds extra steps to the process that could easily be improved.

How can this customer experience be improved?

Two simple steps will improve this customer experience.

· Design consistency.

· Gather customer feedback to make sure it’s designed right for your customers.

Design consistency enables customers to feel in control knowing how to complete a task, and anticipate how the system will respond when they interact with it. Leverage the design of the Spam handling in the Inbox folder and apply it to the Spam folder. For example, a button labeled Not Spam would be visible on the top navigation bar and the same steps to transition the selected email into the Inbox would apply. The design consistency will help your customers feel less anxious and more in-control while they interact with your system.

Paper-prototyping is an easy way to obtain customer feedback during the design process and understand what your customers are thinking while they use your product or system. It’s simple, low cost and done right, consistently provides unexpected insights that reduce design, development and maintenance costs in the short and long-term. The end result is a more pleasurable experience for your customers while they interact with your product.

Applying these simple design principles reduces the need for your customer to wonder what to expect from your system. Instead they’re able to focus on the real reason for using the system, which in this case, is communication.

Design with the Customer in Mind: A Matter of Positioning

2010-09-10T12:23:00.000-04:00

I had to drop by my favorite office supply store last week to snatch up a few ‘back to school bargains.’ Spiral bond notepads fifteen cents each, composition notebooks ten cents each, and 500 sheets of printer paper 25 cents. Great deals, easy to find in the perfect sized store whose employees were eager to please.

Within seconds of asking for help locating the replacement media reader for my Sony Cybershot, I had what I needed in hand and was heading toward the registers. The Cashier was friendly, and inquired whether I’d found everything. Of course I had found what I needed, and then some! I was using a Rebate Credit Card I’d received as a result of purchasing a printer last spring, to pay for my loot. I wondered if the alternative form a payment might complicate the transaction, however, it was seamless.

Because it was a credit card type transaction, I needed to add my signature to the LCD device next to the register displaying the total of my transaction. The screen contained few words however, it was quickly noticeable that the words displayed on the LCD were out of sequence with the actions requested.

LCD Device Screen

The first action requested that I indicate to the device if I was Done or wanted to Clear the transaction. However as I read further I realized I needed to sign the screen before selecting Done or Clear. If I need to sign the screen prior to pressing Done or Clear, why not position the Done and Clear buttons below the signature box? I wondered how many customers attempt to press Done or Clear before signing? And if so, does that require the transaction be re-entered?

Then I noticed the display was telling me to hand my card to the Cashier. Hmmm, at the start of the transaction I had handed my card to the Cashier. I thought that was how we got to this point in the transaction. Why is the screen telling me to hand my card to the cashier now? Is there a different card I need to hand her? I was quickly reassured that I didn’t need to provide any other card in order to complete my transaction.

In this situation, the office supply giant’s efforts to deliver a positive overall customer shopping experience were evident. However, the interface design mismatch is quite obvious and could have easily been avoided by obtaining even a minimal amount of customer feedback during the design phase of the project.

The benefits of obtaining customer feedback, especially during the design phase of a project, are generally far greater than the cost of finding out post- implementation your design isn’t in synch with your customers thinking. If your staff needs some direction developing or executing an effective approach to obtain customer feedback, there are plenty of interaction designers and usability specialists willing to work with you who can easily gather the answers to validate your design decisions. Business case after business case have shown that done right, even a small investment in obtaining customer feedback, especially early in the design process, yields hefty ROI and your efforts can too.

A Customer Experience Moment: Specifically Seeking Sandals

2010-09-07T12:38:00.003-04:00

Taking a day off from work in the midst of a challenging project requires, what I refer to as, ‘vacation agility'. I’m out of the office but I carry my blackberry and check email at regular intervals during the day. I schedule conference calls early in the day and utilize the business center at the hotel so the family can sleep in. It works. Following this course of action during a recent get away to the Mid-Atlantic, I was unexpectedly able to exercise my usability research skills to gather some interesting design data.

Here’s what happened...

I headed for the hotel business center at about 7AM, stopping only to grab a cup of java from the complimentary coffee urns boasting Starbucks brews. I was lucky enough to find the corner seat vacant placing me in front of a hotel-supplied computer to check personal email and to the right an open desk area to set up my work-supplied laptop. Through my laptop I could also access all my work files via the technical magic the smart people at my company perform. (Hocus-pocus if you ask me, but I try not to ask too many questions.)

During the second hour of my stay at the business center a friendly man I estimated to be in his late 60’s sat down at the computer next to me. As he browsed the Yahoo news he rattled a few headlines out loud. My comment on one of the headlines broke the ice and we began to chat. As I worked, I enjoyed hearing about his company, his family and some of his recent travels.

I also learned that one of his goals that morning was to order a pair of sandals designed specifically to be worn in the water. He was able to quickly find the online store where he wanted to make his sandal purchase. He spoke out loud as he navigated through the transaction. He found the style, color and size sandal he wanted and the price was right. He added his selection to his shopping cart and pulled out his credit card to seal the deal.

As he proceeded to the on line register the system presented a screen indicating it was a secure transaction and he seemed pleased to learn that. He entered in his address and credit card information, clicked on Submit button and expected that his sandals were successfully on his way to his home. Instead, a screen displayed indicating there were errors on the page he had just completed and he needed to resolve those issues. The challenge was that the issues that needed to be resolved were not specifically identified in the ‘error’ message the system presented.

As I read the error message, I could deduce which fields likely needed attention but based on his talk out loud approach the fields in need of correction were not as evident to him. The trainer in me wanted to immediately respond by suggesting how to resolve the issues. However the usability researcher in me won the brief internal debate and observed how he navigated through this poorly designed purchasing transaction and attempted to resolve the issues.

There were about five tense minutes filled with trial and error. And I have to admit at one point, when he seemed to be caught in a looping scenario, the trainer in me did emerge to ask him a slightly leading question to facilitate his progress. Although after several attempts he did successfully complete the sandal purchase, observing the transaction forced me to question how many other potential customers have had a similar customer experience and how many, unlike in this case, abandon the purchase transaction.

This is a case where reviewing web analytics on abandon rates during the check out process would likely provide insight into the potential value of redesigning the purchase transaction and clarifying how 'error' messages are being interpreted. In addition, integrating actual customer feedback into the redesign process would provide simple answers to design questions and likely yield significant revenue increases for this online store.

An ATM without letters...

2010-02-24T18:31:00.003-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of birthday shopping for my two year old cousin. With my own daughters well past toddlerhood, I welcomed the excuse to meander around the toy store. What fun I had exploring some new toys as well as classics sure to fill countless hours with enjoyment. After several loops around the store, and making some tough decisions between dolls, my little ponies, and various crafts and books, I brought my final selections to the register. As the manager rang up the items, I reevaluated my choices and decided my little cousin would certainly be pleased with her birthday surprises. Mrs. Potato, I thought, would be the biggest hit!

I opted to pay for my purchases with my ATM card. Being a small non-franchised toy store, the ATM system required the clerk swipe my card into the bank device and then I would enter my PIN number on a separate handheld key pad to validate the purchase. When the clerk announced the purchase total, I presented my ATM card for swiping. Once he swiped the card in the bank device, he gave me the cue to enter in my PIN in the key pad of the separate hand held device.

My PIN is composed of a number and a series of letters and another number. I entered the first number of my PIN on the key pad and then quickly realized that unlike like most ATM key pads, each key on the hand held device displayed only numbers, not the corresponding letters like other traditional ATM key pads. Ordinarily that may not be an issue, but in my case, five digits in my secret PIN are letters which I have never associated with numbers. I attempted to select the appropriate number keys that I thought may contain the corresponding letter of my secret PIN however, when I pressed enter, I realized my number selections were not accurate. As a result, I was not be able to use my ATM card to complete the transaction and had to resort to making the purchase with my credit card which didn't require I enter a PIN.

Although the clerk was very patient and understanding, my overall user experience related to my purchase was negative. Initially I questioned if there was a problem with my ATM card. Plus it was confusing to be presented with a device which skewed so far from the norm and rendering the transaction unable to be completed. Now when I think about returning to that toy store, although I had fun browsing, this negative experience will continue to be associated with the store as well.

My experience underscores the value of creating scenarios during the business requirements process of systems design to better understand needs of typical users of systems being developed. It also highlights the value of usability testing during the design phase of the project development lifecycle. Even an abbreviated testing effort using paper prototypes of the device has the potential to reveal issues and design opportunities prior to investing in actual product development saving significant dollars late in the development lifecycle potentially jeopardizing budgets and planned time lines. So go ahead and advocate for user testing, early and often, during the development lifecycle for your rewards will likely be great!

The irony of the usability test...

2010-02-12T21:59:00.004-05:00

So you may recall that this week the focus of my comments has been on the Facebook redesign. My plan has been that I'd use the redesigned tool while others were getting acquainted with it as well. Folks would form opinions on features they like and dislike and we'd end up with some fairly interesting fodder for my blog. Sounds reasonable.

During the week I also decided to post the link to my blog on Facebook and ask my FB friends to add comments about the Facebook redesign to my blog. Keep in mind, the circle of people potentially viewing my blog was expanding exponentially as a result of that prompt and yes, that was scary.

Well as I went through the link posting process, I learned that I wasn't just posting the link in my status, I found out the step was bolder than I had anticipated. It went something like this... I changed my status to request feedback. Then when I pasted the link to my blog in that status, but the system responded by doing more then just posting the link. The system created a new section on, I don't know if its on my wall or my home page (gosh, I wish Facebook would have some indicator telling me what page I'm actually on) and posted my link to my blog and along with my photo from my blog. Yikes, I didn't expect that to happen. My blood pressure went up slightly due to the unexpected system response but I gradually learned I could live with the outcome.

So my request of my FaceBook friends was to share feedback on elements they liked or didn't like about the new Facebook. Feeling a bit vulnerable, I awaited my first piece of feedback to this very out of character request. The rest of the evening went by and I didn't get one single response to my request either on Facebook or directly on my blog. Hmmm, I wondered if I had over stepped by Facebook boundaries by posting my request. Or were my friends simply hesitant to go out and reply to a blog. Well another full day passed without a single comment on either. I knew there were people out there who had opinions on the new design. Why weren't they responding to my inquiry?

Well two days later, I received a Facebook message from a friend asking why he could no longer view or write on my wall. The lights suddenly went on in my brain and my questions began to get answers. Facebook friends hadn't been able to respond because on the night I posted the link, I also modified my Facebook security. In adjusting my security settings, I had tightened my privacy setting restricting even friends from viewing my wall.

Today, if we're Facebook friends, I expect you will be able to view the items on 'my wall' including the link to this blog. And I hope you'll provide candid feedback on what you like, or don't like, about the Facebook redesign. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on it.

~jill

Another Facebook Redesign...

2010-02-09T22:01:00.001-05:00

Taking the market by storm, Facebook is still in it's youthful years from a company development perspective. Despite it's relative infancy, it's been a driving force in shaping a new culture of on line communication tools. Millions of users have come to enjoy and rely on Facebook as a means to sharing information with friends and family. Though not without its flaws, the lack of comparable tools available today, renders 'Face-bookers' relatively forgiving of often complicated navigation and less than intuitive user interface.

With the launching of yet another Facebook redesign, how will users respond to the changes introduced? I noticed several status updates today indicating some Facebookers were struggling with the new design. Before I share my experiences, I'm going to create a thread on Facebook to ask people to post their comments about what they like or would like in the Facebook design. It'll be a mini-usability study.

I'll be back with results during the next day or so. Plus, I've invited folks to add their comments here.

Jill

Sadie Hawkins Dance Dress...

2010-02-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

So there's a user experience associated every interaction we have whether it's with a web site, a person, situation or a product.

As I prepared my Singer sewing machine for the task of adding some finishing touches to my daughter's pretty teal green satin Sadie Hawkins Dance dress, my brain quickly focused on usability as I attempted to thread the needle with my aging eyes. These days not only is it impossible to thread the needle of my sewing machine without my glasses, it's even tough to thread it while I'm wearing them! I realized something important this week: Although necessity may be the mother of invention, usability plays a significant role in it as well.

Here's the breakdown of the scenario and the user experience.

I'm attempting to complete a task (threading the needle on my sewing machine) for which I now need an assistive device ie. my reading glasses. As I attempt to complete the task, I am required to take several steps that render the process inefficient. I turn the little light that is built into the sewing machine 'on' and realize it is of no value to assist me with task completion.

Then I get up and walk across the room to turn on the overhead light and sit back down at the sewing machine to again attempt to thread the needle, still with no success. What other ways can I reach task completion I wonder to myself. Idea.... I walk over to the jelly cupboard to pull out the flashlight so I can add the hand held spotlight to assist with task completion. Thankfully the beam of the flashlight provides the necessary light and the needle is threaded. I can proceed with the real task at hand which is adding some straps to the beautiful teal satin dress.

Over all my user experience related to threading the needle is not positive. In addition to the lighting being inappropriately placed on the sewing machine, I once again encounter the reality of the aging process.

The silver lining... The experience opened my eyes to a redesign opportunity for Singer or any other sewing machine manufacturer with regard to wattage and positioning of the light on a sewing machine. I would estimate that the average age of folks interested in sewing spans most age demographics and probably weighs more on the 35+ female demographics. Physiologically normal eye sight does begin to deteriorate in the 40+ demographics. Threading the needle is a critical priority task and therefore ways to improve ease of use related to design should be of value to purchasers.

So remember as you continue to become more aware of your positive and negative user experiences, look for the opportunities in those experiences because they may just be the mother of the next great invention!

Now I've got to go so I can finish some hand-stitching on that pretty teal satin dress.

bicycling for more than health...

2010-02-04T22:18:00.002-05:00

Below is a link to a valuable article on some very innovative bicycle designs. Thanks for sending them this way Steph!

http://www.fuelyourcreativity.com/modern-bicycle-concepts-that-will-blow-your-mind/

What do you all think of them? Could they be developed and implemented effectively?

Thanks in advance for your feedback and discussion.

Jill

Semi - Automatic Faucets...

2010-02-03T21:48:00.002-05:00

So I duck into ladies room at JC Penny on Saturday afternoon to wash my hands. Of course, I'm carrying my purse, a tote bag and sporting my bulky winter garb. As I walk up to the sink that runs the length of the room, despair replaces optimism when I realize there are no faucet handles on this sink. Instead, I find myself face to face with a 'semi-automatic' faucet. Sigh.

There is something about me and 'semi-automatic' faucets. I generally find myself doing deep knee bends and moving my hands in any variety of positions in order to trigger the water flow response from the faucet. Once the water is flowing, I try to keep my hands steady so the faucet doesn't shut off before the soap is rinsed from my hands. If not, I need to do some more aerobic moves to trigger to water to flow again.

As I leave the ladies room, carrying my purse in my almost non-soapy hands, I'm a little sweaty from my cardio-hand washing workout. Of courses, I am thankful for running water, and for my hand washing success. The user experience in this case isn't very positive, however for me, it is now expected. When I walk into a bathroom with the semi- automatic faucet set up, my visceral response is to sigh and wonder how long it will take for me to trigger the faucet to work.

I wonder how many people have had experiences similar to what I described when interacting with 'semi-automatic' faucets. I'd like to hear some other stories on your experiences interacting with things that once required manual intervention like the faucet which is now automated.

~jill

Say a Command...

2010-02-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

'Say a command' are the words that often startle me when I reach for my Blackberry and accidentally press the silver button on the left side. The silver button to which I refer is strategically placed smack dab in the center sideline of the device, exactly where I tend to grasp it as I check for email or answer a phone call. And every time it happens I think to myself, 'I wish I knew what voice commands would actually trigger action because I would like to give the voice command feature a try.'

Blackberry's have come such a long way in design and functionality during recent years. For example, being able to be prompted by voice commands is a big leap in functionality. However if I could redesign the voice command access in any way, I would reposition the button from the middle of the sideline where it is today and move it to the lower corner on the sideline of the device. Positioned there, it would still be easily accessed for those wanting to use voice commands, yet be out of the path of the most frequent grasping area. I suspect the reposition of the silver button would result in fewer incidents of accidental activation of voice prompting and lower the frequency my Blackberry beckons to me to 'Say a Command'.

Has this ever happened to you? How would you redesign the Blackberry? What features would you like to see in a Blackberry or have easier access to?

Jill

Getting a Facelift....

2010-01-31T21:51:00.003-05:00

I have to intro today by saying that although there are design flaws in the current Facebook design, the concept of Facebook still is brilliant. Kudos to the team who developed the tool and executed on it to reconnect millions of friends and families around the globe. Quite an amazing accomplishment to say the least!

In yesterday's blog I referred to the Facebook 'facelift' that left so many of us feeling lost when we could no longer do the cool stuff we were once able to easily complete. I remember feeling overwhelmed by too much information being presented on my home page. The information seemed to be present without my consent and I didn't know how to manage it all. Facebook, a simple tool that I had come to trust was suddenly responding in unexpected ways!

What was once simple became complex. I felt frustrated and was having a negative user experience on Facebook. I stopped visiting Facebook for several months as a result of those design changes. When we have a negative user experience with a product, often we're reluctant to go back to that web site or to use that product again. More and more people are less forgiving of poor designs that result in negative user experiences than even just a few years ago. We may seek an alternative web site or product, or may even avoid similar products all together in the future as a result of the negative user experience. When there are no equivalent resources, we're apt to be more forgiving than if there were numerous options to fulfill the same need. Although I gave Facebook another chance, to this day, I think there are features of it that I don't understand well and I have not yet regained my trust in the tool.

There also continue to be a few things that frustrate me about it's design. The first is that I have 52 Requests pending. Some are two years old. Why can't I select all and delete. Why do I need to go through each on at this point when I just want them all to be gone? Another thing is why does every one of my activities show up on my home page. I know what I did. Does everyone really need to know that I just commented on my friends status? I don't think so. And why, oh why, when I select an item to delete from my home page, does Facebook repeatedly ask if I really want to delete it. This is social networking not medical information! I actually don't want it displayed to begin with but if you're gonna display it, make it easy to delete. Lastly, I'm really not sure if I understand who else sees what activities I complete. Kind of weird at some level, yet to stay in touch through a common portal with friends and family near and far, I continue to use the tool.

Is it only me who has struggled with the Facebook redesign? And why is it that so many people are tolerant of Facebook's design? Any thoughts on why we willingly accept Facebook at face value?

Jill

Inspired ...

2010-01-30T23:49:00.059-05:00

Welcome to Brain Logic Blog!

I've been inspired by the movie 'Julie and Julia' (which I loved) and Stephie's 365 Photos and Peg's 50 pounds before 50 years, daily blogs. I now actually look forward to reading them everyday. I'm going to follow their lead and begin what I've been thinking about doing for sometime. I'll be blogging on a topic that is near and dear to my heart - Human Computer Interaction. In other words, I'll be writing about the frustrations and accolades associated with interacting with selected web sites and products.

Here's what that means.....

Everyday we interact with all sorts of products from the moment we wake up. We do things like turn off the alarm clock, get the coffee pot ready to perk the morning brew, visit Twitter or Facebook to get some news, or text Mom to say good morning. Those are all examples of interactions with products and technology.

How someone feels as a result of those interactions, whether positive or negative, shape what is termed their 'user experience'. The Facebook facelift frustrated many of us users resulting in a negative user experience. While Google's simple, reliable design meets our expectations and makes us happy fostering a positive user experience.

Here's the simple version of the Human Computer Interact equation ...

interaction with a product or web site
+ how we feel
+ what we think
-------------------------------------
user experience

Thinking in terms of user experiences reshapes how we interpret our everyday activities. Brain Logic Blog is the place to explore web sites and products we like or ones that frustrate us and are in need improvements. We'll talk about how we would improve web site and product designs. We might even get to see a few of our recommendations implemented!

You're invited to share your comments and experiences to help transform frustrating user experiences into those deserving of accolades! Come along for the ride, it's going to be fun!

Jill

Street Signs and Button Names

2007-07-04T21:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, so how long has it been since I was first introduced to the Internet? Hmmm... 10, 12 maybe 15 years. Yes, it's been about fifteen years since I first heard about some of the vast potential of the Internet. I've heard many analogies to describe how everything on the Internet relates. You've probably heard many of the same eg, the Internet is like a web or its a superhighway, to name a few. I'm sure there are many more analogies too. I've always thought that these common metaphors refer to the infrastructure of the Internet, you know, the foundation that connects all the intersecting points together.

As I've continued to study Human Computer Interaction (HCI), my focus has moved from the infrastructure of the Internet and the external connections among web resources to wanting clearer understanding how the client is interacting with a particular web resource at any given millisecond. I often wonder about the thought processes that are occurring cognitively for a client as they glance at a navigation button on a screen or hear the button label read aloud while I observe clients exploring web based tools. How I can anticipate their next click of the mouse or their next move on the screen and build the navigate to support their cognition?

One analogy related to HCI that has become so apparent to me is how driving my car around town and web navigation are quite related.
Here's how....

Home is generally from where I begin my journey and where I end it. In between I have certain destinations that I want to reach as efficiently as I can. For example, home to grocery store. Okay, I have to deal with a few lights, but hopefully no detours and if I do get detoured, I sure hope it's well marked because I have a purpose, getting groceries, and I don't want it to take any longer then necessary. Home to the grocery store and I don't want to get diverted from my task.

Now apply these same concepts to how clients navigate through a web site. I'm on the home page of a web site and want to purchase a pair of shoes. So I click on the Buy Shoes button and want to be presented with shoe choices so I can select a pair that I like. When I click on the Buy Shoes button selection I don't expect to be presented with choices for things other than shoes, you know I don't want to look at coats, dresses, sporting goods. I just want to look at shoes. If I do get a message that leads me to a detour, I hope the web designer makes it easy for me to get back on track so I can buy shoes. Are you getting the connection, am I painting a picture? I have a purpose and a goal and I want to get there and get back Home(Page) without incident, without getting lost.

This morning I was driving home from the grocery store on one of several usual routes home. As I turned on my blinker to make a right turn, I did so with little thought and in anticipation of an expected outcome which was the right turn onto E Street. That right turn would make me one street closer to home. Please no detours, everything looked familiar and worked. Stop sign, right blinker again, accelerate...familiar with no exceptions. If someone knew me and where I lived they could almost anticipate my next move. Interesting. How can I apply this thinking and these principles to my customers and other customers web experiences?

Know thy audience. In web design, can we build a system or web site that anticipates someones next move? I think we're getting closer to that design every day. And like the street designs and intersections in our town, web sites also have street designs but they're called navigation. Navigation is at the root of every customer's experience.
Be smart. Build it wisely. Test it often.

The Ambiguity of Accessibility

2007-06-09T21:46:00.000-04:00

Although I realize that I should hardly even have the right to present my thoughts on the state of perceptions of Web Accessibility because of my novice involvement with the topic. At this moment however, I have to do just that.

I'll put four thoughts on the table:

Many people perceive the number of people impacted by accessibility in web or technology design as insignificant.

Although the number of people with accessibility needs is lower then the general population, the number is growing.

The impact of the absence of accessibility is systems and web design is critical; in many cases rendering a resource unusable.

Many people with accessibilty needs today did not have them yesterday.