Designing the User Experience

The battery for the remote on my car is starting to go out. Right now, it’s just intermittently having issues. The other night, I realized after pushing the unlock button 20 times, that I needed to find another solution.

I decided to use the key to open the car door. As I turned the key the car unlocked just fine. At the moment I opened the door, I found that the alarm started up. Of course, without the remote working, I couldn’t turn it off. In a state of panic, I thought that closing the door would turn it off. Then I opened the back door (yeah, I know, not my brightest moment).

It was not until I actually tried to start the vehicle that the alarm finally turned off. I found this was especially interesting. The first thought that went through my mind was, “Why in the world should I ever be allowed to unlock the car with the key if the lock does not control the alarm.”

It makes me wonder what else in life that we deal with has such a poorly designed operating procedure.

This weekend I was camping with the Boy Scouts. A good friend of mine, Jordan, pointed out the design of his tent. One of the reasons I hate using tents when I’m camping (preferring to sleep under the stars) is that I hate having to roll up the tent into the ever-too-small bags they provide.

Jordan’s bag for his tent was designed to fit well. It was greater than the size necessary. It was designed more like a duffle bag and even had extra zippers that make it possible to cinch it in after the tent is in place.

Sometimes, it is the simplest of design changes that can make all the difference in the world. Simply being able to use the car key to turn off the car alarm or a larger bag for a tent can make the user experience so much better.

What can companies learn from these simple experiences? What do you think you can change that will make all the difference in the world for those that use your product or services?