The meaning of good design

[ppppenguin]

It's not my intention to start Apple vs Windows vs Linux wars so please don't. This thoughtful article exposes a lot of what's wrong about the way that mere humans interact with computers. It's mainly about Apple products (of which I own none) but recognise the main themes.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3053406/how-...a-bad-name

The ideas in this article could apply to almost any product. Good design extends far further than computers. We have all met plenty of bad design, I sometimes use the metaphor of needing to read the instructions before you can boil a kettle. How many simple things can be got wrong with a kettle design?

If you're left handed you want a sight glass on the other side too. They need to be clearly marked with minimum water level and numbered with cups. How many actually get this right? It's simple stuff but so often wrong.

[Radio Fixer]

Too much for me to read all of the article but I get the idea. We do have a kettle with the site glass on the back and marked in cups, its a Breville. But they still got the lid wrong: perhaps for 'ealth and safety the lid is a jam fit so we fill through the spout. Why couldn't it have had a hinge pop up with a back lever? 'ealth and safety of course !

I have a Nexus 7 tablet and to me its a toy, joke thing. Just about useful for getting the news and e-mails on holiday. It will never beat a proper kbd, mouse and large screen.

As to smart phones, well I don't have one but I understand someone made his fortune by bringing out a simple, large button easy to use phone.

Another item that has been well criticised is Virgin Medias Tivo box that is basically good but ruined by the most cumbersome menu system.

It seems designers get too close to the products and don't do a trial with discerning people off the street and listen.

Gary

[ppppenguin]

Most modern kettles are designed to be filled through the spout. The spout should be big enough that it's easy to put under the tap. Putting a single sight glass on the back is a value efficient bit of design to save the cost of a 2nd sight glass.

[peter scott]

Interesting article. The reference to Google maps getting harder to use with every itteration reminded me of a problem that I can't seem to get rid of. If I select Earth from Google maps then the image becomes mirrored along the diagonal. I have no idea how to correct this. Has anyone else experienced it and solved it?

Sorry for the slight thread highjack.

Peter

   

[ppppenguin]

Totally irrelevant but the thought process might be similar:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_You_Wan...ue%3F#Text

"But never be clever for the sake of being clever"

In performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZM4yxbE0ZE

[Terry]

... They need to be clearly ... numbered with cups ...

To paraphrase a well known phrase or saying ...

A kettle isn't just for coffee!

I read the article out to Helen as we compared notes and then your post.

Fine until we got to 'cups' then 'No!'

Ours is marked in ml (and starts at the minimum level - 750ml - so it is obvious) so it is easy to fill it with exactly the amount needed (and you can always divide by 250ml or whatever size cup you are using if you like).

It is branded PROline, has a pop-up lid and two sight glasses - Helen is left handed, so that's important.

[ppppenguin]

Fine until we got to 'cups' then 'No!'


Ours is marked in ml......

In that case follow the example of measuring jugs and mark with both. While you and I can do mental arithmetic in our sleep, many can't or don't. So to save electricity (and water to a lesser extent) kettles need to be marked a lot better than most actually are.

My Russell Hobbs has dual sight glasses marked 0.5l, 1l, 1.7l max. Not very visible due to low contrast and not the most helpful set of markings.

[Terry]

My Russell Hobbs has dual sight glasses marked 0.5l, 1l, 1.7l max. Not very visible due to low contrast and not the most helpful set of markings.

Hmm. Hardly fit for purpose, then - what was that about Apple's impossible to read fonts?

Ours is clearly marked in high contrast black on off-white plastic alongside the sight glasses 0.75l, 1.0l, 1.25l, 1.5l, 1.7l (which can easily be interpreted as 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 cups, if you prefer) with intermediate dots at 50ml intervals

[Refugee]

We have got a really cheap kettle with no brand name unless there is something under the base.
It does a bit more than one coffee mug with the element just covered and two with about a third more.
It is marked 0.5L 1L and 1.5L. I would prefer them to be marked in mugs as opposed to cups.
The worst kettle we ever had was a Molinex branded one.
One day in the early hours we heard a loud bang and rolled over to go back to sleep with a blown fuse on the to do list only to hear another loud bang.
It used to leave a little spot of water on the work surface if left with water in it for a while.
When I investigated it there was a little drain hole at the bottom of the sight glass.
My conclusion was that they had bodged the design and had not fixed it but worse than that the things were still on display in a large retail store complete with the drain hole.
If you do not want that to happen you need to see one out of the box so that you can see how the sight glass in bonded to  it and that there is no signs of a design bodge.

Another bad one had a painfully thin hinge on the lid that snapped in no time.

[ppppenguin]

I take the view that utility and functionality trump appearance. Rather the opposite of Apple's recent efforts. Of course I would rather live with items that look good too but they have to work well.