Configuration Hell- The Case for the Plug and Play User Experience

By Frank Spillers

on July 29, 2021 - 6:31am
A brown man with glasses interacts with his mobile phone

Summary: Users are not usually successful at configuring software, websites or devices and the configuration experience can be a major source of frustration. Instead, we need to move toward a world where everything is auto-configured and user experiences are "plug and play".

You know the drill: You download or install a new piece of software or open a new piece of technology (e.g. mobile phone, laptop, VR system) and you have to "configure it" to get something to work or work the way you want it to...

Defining Configuration

I refer to configuration in its broadest sense: A user must perform some advanced action in order to get some desired result from software, a website or a product experience. Typically the term configuration means to adjust or change settings- hiding, activating or altering useful features and system behaviors.

Why Confusion is a Valuable Tool in UX Design

By Frank Spillers

on March 23, 2021 - 7:32am
woman confused at laptop- ux designer

Summary: Most IT professionals including UX Designers logically run away from confusion. All too often confusion is perceived as bad or the thing to avoid. Instead, confusion offers an opportunity to explore, learn, and deconstruct poor user experience, allowing designers and decision-makers to create better experiences for users. 

Confusion is how we learn

Without confusion, we would not be able to understand user behavior, problem-solving, or issues that arise with service and product experiences. TED Talks Founder, Richard Saul Wurman, and the first to get us to think about designing for understanding through information design and visualization provided the term 'Information Architecture' to explain this art form, back in 1976. He famously nailed the gift of confusion in the following phrase:

UX Power Up: User Advocacy

By Frank Spillers

on February 14, 2014 - 9:47am

User advocacy is at the heart of usability, user experience and Design Thinking. User advocacy is a core design decision making tool because it utilizes empathy. Advocating for user needs is empathy demonstrated. 

In this week's UX Power Up, Frank shares some tricks for remaining a strong user advocate in your language and thinking. Please post your comments below, we would love to hear your thoughts.

Transcript of video above...

User Advocacy

Frank Spillers, founder of Experience Dynamics, and it’s time for this week’s UX Power Up.

Avoiding Train wreck User Experiences

By Frank Spillers

on August 15, 2013 - 9:00pm

A UX train wreck is a user experience that makes you work- really work. UX that's so broken, it breaks you down psychologically or emotionally. In this post we'll explore some big train wreck user experiences from Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft. These companies do a lot of great UX work, but they also do some 'train wreck' ones that make for good learning. Do the opposite of these and you'll end up closer to an elegant user experience. 

Are your users dumb or are your designers the dummies?

By Frank Spillers

on March 18, 2013 - 9:00pm

In this post, we'll explore the basic user experience skill of not taking for granted what your users can do.

Why is this important? If your assumptions about your users are incorrect, you'll make unwise design decisions...and you'd never want to do that now, would you?!

Those of who follow my work via my ux trainings or web seminars, know we don't believe in the myth of the stupid user. We say there are no user errors, only designer errors. That attitude let's us understand user error, and design around it.

Does it take Einstein to design for the most important task?

By Frank Spillers

on March 15, 2012 - 8:07pm

Einstein

It was Albert Einstein's birthday yesterday, and to celebrate I wanted to share this excellent example of outstanding task-oriented design from Einstein Healthcare Network.

What makes me dedicate an entire blog post to Einstein.edu's home page usability? The courage that I believe is reflected in the home page layout choices.

Figuring out how to deal with Stupid Users

By Frank Spillers

on May 27, 2011 - 1:55pm

IStock_000013535500XSmall There's a common belief that the problem with errors users make with Web sites or Web apps has to do with differing intelligence levels.Some users even blame themselves for being dumb.

"Sorry about this", I was told by an IT manager at a major financial institution, "It's just that our users are lazy and stupid". 

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! (usability ode to the good doctor)

By Frank Spillers

on March 2, 2010 - 9:06pm

Seuss-big

Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday!

Originally written in 2001, this is still timely and captures the consequences of poor user experience:

 

"One link two link, red link blue link,
Oh my gosh here comes a new link.

This click that click, here click there click

Huh? click HELP! click Who knows where click?

New rules new day, how you must play.

Who say? You say! I squeal "Oy-vey!"

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