Joe jancsics 3 Flawed Designs

3 Flawed Designs: Abstract & Key Words
Abstract
Designers communicate their conceptual model to the user via the system image. When designing an object for everyday use designers should have strong awareness and understanding of a user’s mental model, the system image
(represented model) should resemble the mental model of the intended user, if it does the device tends to have a
good user experience. When designers make poor decisions the reasons typically involve a lack of awareness regarding users. Research plays an integral part in the design process and understanding users and their mental models can
prevent poor design elements.
For this project we were to take 3 examples of bad design and relate them to the six principles outlined by Don
Norman in The Design of Everyday Things. Norman’s six principles are as follows:
Consistency (conceptual models): Familiarity and consistent system image
Visibility: The user should be able to easily see the state of the device
Feedback: Information the device sends to the user- should be immediate following action by the user
Affordances: Perceived and actual properties that lend clues to the operation
Mapping: Relationship to controls and their effect
Constraints: Properties that limit the operation or restrict interaction
For each of the 3 objects evaluated we are to suggest solutions to improve the design.

Key Words
Don Norman, Consistency, Conceptual Model, Mental Model, System Image, Design Model, Visibility, Feedback, Affordances, Mapping, Constraints, Solutions, Fireplace, Nooka Watch, Briel Domus Due Espresso Machine
Joe Jancsics | ADS710 Advanced Human Factors

3 Flawed Designs: Purpose & Method
Purpose
The purpose of the exercise is to gain an understanding of how to relate Don Norman’s principles of design to our
own experiences. Through relating various devices to the six principles we can expect to see various successes and
failures in the design decisions that may otherwise be overlooked. This exercise can help broaden the understanding
towards the challenges that designers face trying to create objects and devices for everyday use.

Method
Method:
Using class handouts and The Design of Everyday Things as a guide I
selected 3 devices that seemed to be good subjects for analysis:
A-A fireplace with poor visibility and location of controls
B-A digital watch that uses an unfamiliar system to communicate data
to the user
C-An espresso machine that functions well but has a tendency to explode if tasks are not handled in a specific order
The details of my process were as follows:
1- Analyzed device or object, obtained documentation when available
2- Started working down the list of the six design principles
-Took photos and video
-Tried different actions with the devices and objects
-Documented the findings in a series of presentations
ANALOG


3 Flawed Designs: Discussion
Discussion
Through analyzing the fireplace, digital watch, and espresso machine it became obvious that some designs were
flawed in more serious ways than others.
The fireplace can be deadly if a user is not absolutely certain they opened the flue to vent carbon monoxide gasses.
Poor visibility and feedback with mapping that requires a user to potentially reach into a fire seemed like careless
design decisions. This seemed like safety was sacrificed to save on manufacturing costs and perhaps keep a clean
aesthetic quality to the outside of the fireplace. Putting the control directly on the flue hatch inside the hearth of the
fireplace is a lazy approach to the design; it disregards visibility and constraints to the user.
The Nooka digital watch study revealed the designer should have avoided many of the utility functions if they want
to introduce a strange way of telling time. The time and effort spent on confusing features could have been spent
improving the manufacturing quality or aspects involving readability. If something is made for fashion and aesthetic
uniqueness it should be single function, there seems to be no need to add complexity just for the sake of having
extra features.
Lastly, the espresso machine is actually a solid design with one serious flaw. The controls and feedback are good, and
it is simplified yet consistent for a “power user” or someone that wants elements of manual control over their
espresso preparation. The flaw with the espresso machine seems to be purely mechanical; it involves pressure
buildup in the brew filter when immediately followed by using the milk steamer without removing aforementioned
brewing filter. This may have simply been an oversight where they did not do enough testing or failed to illustrate
the use case, it could be easily solved with an automatic release valve mechanism tied to the milk steamer control.


3 Flawed Designs: Conclusion & Bibliography
Conclusion
This project provided insights to the various ways designs can have flaws and also helped in understanding how to
build a framework around Norman’s six design principles to avoid creating bad designs. The significant time spent
analyzing each object provided valuable insights on elements that would otherwise be overlooked. Often times
design work can suffer from lack of focus on the user, keeping these six principles in mind can help keep things on
track and it gives a solid method to creating useful solutions. Putting the reading material into action by evaluating
familiar objects has uncovered the reality that many designers are disregarding methods and often times the users
are coping with frustrations because of it.

Bibliography
Norman, Donald A. (1988) The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books.


Fireplace: Overview
A fireplace can be used to heat the inside of a living area. The warmth from the flames disperses heat throughout the room. An important safety concern is the
dangerous carbon monoxide gasses emitted from the fire.
When the flue is open the carbon monoxide gas is able to freely exit the chimney into the outside atmosphere.

Fireplace Safety Points

All homes with a fireplace should have a
carbon monoxide alarm system


Fireplace: Consistency
The designer in this case has hidden the controls for the flue inside the hearth although their intent is that it is open during operation. An experienced user may
have developed a mental model with awareness that the flue needs to be opened manually, but an inexperienced user could make the assumption that it is
automatic based on the design lacking a visible external control. Even for an experienced user , who knows that a the flue must be opened for safety reasons,
there is still a discovery phase where they need to locate the control inside the hearth.

Atmosph

Mental Model
Carbon Monoxide

Conceptual Model

Hearth

Atmosphere

Living Area

Flue
Living Area

Warmth


Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide

Atmosphere

Hearth

Hearth
Warmth

Warmth

Fireplace: Visibility
The control to open and close the flue is located on the top of the hearth, due to the location the user needs to position themselves close to the floor to actually
see the control. From across the room or standing the flue control handle is entirely out of view.

Hidden Control

rea

-Design lacks a visible external
control
-Use has no visible indication of
what state the flue is in
(open/closed)
-Even for an experienced user
there is a discovery phase where
they need to locate the control
inside the hearth


Fireplace: Feedback
The fireplace relies on a carbon monoxide detector to provide a warning to the user, this is a separate device and is not connected to the fireplace. A carbon
Monoxide detector is not giving the user any direct feedback on the state of the flue but rather warning them when the levels of gas have become toxic, which
would be the result of a closed flue. The only way a user can obtain immediate feedback is by crouching or laying on the floor to see the flue, by the time an
external detector is activated it would be too late for the flue to clear gasses and windows would need to be opened with the user exiting the living area.

What State is the Flue in?
-Only way to obtain immediate
feedback is to lay on the floor or
crouch
-External detector will tell when
gasses are at toxic levels but not
information about the flue
-Carbon monoxide is odorless and
invisible

State
of
Flue

Safety Note: Carbon monoxide gasses continue to emit from ashes, the
flue should remain in the open position for over 24 hours after a fire has
extinguished.

Fireplace: Affordances
The controls on the fireplace have limited affordances. The metal mesh curtains in the front slide open and closed along a track. The handle on the flue door can
be pushed up to open when the flue is in a closed state and pulled down to close when in an open state.
Technically speaking, the fireplace hearth does not exclusively limit itself in operation to containing fire for heating; a user could choose to use the hearth for
storage and there is no affordance to prevent that use.

Metal Curtain
Slide Handles Apart

Slide Handles Together

Flue
Push Lever Up

Pull Lever Down


Fireplace: Mapping
There is a direct relationship to the flue door and control with the control being located on the door. The hinge is located in the center with the control located
on the edge closest to the living area.
The mapping causes the user to soil their hand during any interaction with the control, essentially punishing the user every time they access it.
Push
Lever
Up

-The moment the user
touches the control their
hand becomes soiled

Pull
Lever
Down

Wash
Hands

Fireplace: Constraints
Due to the location of the flue control the user is forced to reach into the hearth if they start a fire prior to opening the flue, this forces the user to disregard the
logic that the fire is burning and reaching into it could cause injury. The reality may be that the top of the hearth does not reach a high temperature but reaching
into the fire is not the most comfortable way for a user to test that theory. Constraints also physically affect the user by forcing them to crouch down to view or
change the state of the flue control.

Physical Constraints

-Control is attached directly to
flue hatch
-Viewing and changing the flue
state requires the user to assume
uncomfortable positions

Cultural & Semantic Constraints
-User may be forced to reach into a hot
fire to access control
-Even if this is safe the user must overcome fear to access the control


!

Fireplace: Solutions
Many of the problems with this fireplace design would be inexpensive and simple to implement. For a more advanced solution technology could be introduced
to safeguard the user and allow more visibility of the flue state.

Solutions

Simple External Switch
+ Visual feedback
+ Easy operation
+ Can be aesthetically pleasing or decorative

-Simple External Switch

-Sliding or toggle control on the outer frame with clear
visibility and easy access

Flue
Closed

-Automatic flue tied to heat detection

-Manual override to safeguard against electrical failures
-Integrated timer to not allow flue to be closed within 24
hours of fire
-Could help reduce user-error and save lives

Flue
Open

-Remote Features
-Connectivity between flue and carbon monoxide detectors
-Communication to mobile devices
-Remote monitoring and control

Mobile Device
Status

Hearth Data
-Fire Status
-Flue Status

Carbon
Monoxide
Alarm

Transmit to sensor

Fire

-Carbon Monoxide
Levels
-Fire Status
-Flue State

Flue

Active Open
Carbon Monoxide
Levels
Safe


Monitoring & Control

Digital Watch: Overview
Digital watches typically offer a reading of time with digits instead of hands as on analog watches. Digital watches are fueled by battery power and are extremely
accurate. In this case, the digital watch does not use the normal means of communicating time with a numerical display, this watch by Nooka displays time using
rows of squares, rectangles, and circles.

“Excuse me, do you know what time it is?”
Analog
Watch Face

Standard
Digital Display

Nooka
Digital Display

8:18:02 PM

Our mental models are adapted to this, we just “know” the
numbers even if only 3 of them are labeled. We even
“know” it’s 18 minutes past the hour just based on our
familiarity with the dial and large indicators make it easy,
even if we are off by a minute people often feel comfortable rounding the minutes. Answering what time it is
might need a second glance but requires little effort.


The digits read exactly as we would say the time, some people
may sarcastically read off the seconds after the hours and
minutes but we can answer the question of time just by reading the numbers. The traditional digital watch allows us to be
exact, there is no need to round numbers off.

This may take some effort to answer the simple question regarding what time it is. The top two rows are
hours, there is 12 places where bars can fill that area.
We need to either take 12 and subtract the 4 missing
blocks, or we take 6 from the top row and add 2 from
the second, either way we end up at 8. Third row is the
minutes, and yes it’s somewhat hard to see...

Digital Watch: Consistency
Our mental models have adapted to easily recognize a watch or clock with hands. Sub-dials displaying seconds or windows with magnified glass have been
accepted widely as methods to add functions of seconds and date to a traditional watch, since most people are not seeking seconds when reading time it was
not factored into the results of the models. Most adults have a developed mental model where they even know the minutes just by glancing at the nearest hour
marker on an analog watch. Traditional digital displays spell out the time exactly as it would read. The Nooka watch requires the user to add or subtract squares,
over time this mental model could be learned but unless someone is mesmerized by the display style one has to wonder if it’s worth the effort.

Conceptual Model
Wristwatch

Hours

=X

Minutes

Time of Day

=Y

15

30

45

Seconds

“ Total QTY

Mental Model
Time of Day

Wristwatch

HH:MM:SS
Digital

“Hours:Minutes”
=Time

Digital
or
Analog?

Locate
Hour Hand
ANALOG


Total QTY

Locate
Minute Hand

“Hour:Minute”
=Time

“ =Time

Digital Watch: Visibility
The face of the watch is hard to see and labels are scarce on the face, this is an especially difficult watch to read while walking or in low light situations. Various
modes are controlled by buttons on the left and right side of the watch, the buttons are unlabeled and the user must remember their function or guess until
they learn it. Viewing in the dark is made possible with a night mode, which lasts for 3 seconds and is initiated by pressing the upper left button, it can be
pressed multiple times to extend the backlight time but it’s not easy to do, unfortunately long-pressing does not extend the backlight time.

Things are Visible | What Do They Mean?

Buttons on the left side have no
labels or indication of function

Time display has very small indicators and
minimal text, there is very little contrast
which makes visibility a challenge.

Buttons on the right side have no
labels or indication of function

It’s dark out and you have 3 Seconds*
to tell me what time it is on your
Nooka watch, ready, set, GO!
*First you need to find the night mode button to illuminate
the display, then the timer starts...


Night Mode

-Press the top left button to activate
-Function times out after three seconds(!)

Digital Watch: Feedback
Like most digital watches, this Nooka watch has many modes of operation. These modes are controlled by buttons on the left and right side of the watch, the
display gives no indication or label of what mode it is currently operating in, it is up to the user to either study the behavior or find a pattern and memorize the
order of different unlabeled menus. The only feedback provided is the changing behavior of the display, which is so different from our developed mental models
it can be difficult to translate the seemingly abstract information.

State of the Device | Unknown
Various Modes of Operation (all look the same):
-Time
-Date
-Alarm
-“Chrono Mode”
-Acts as a stopwatch
-Display goes completely blank
-User must press an unlabeled
button to start filling the seconds
row with bars

-Audible feedback is present on some functions
The only “mode” indicator on the
face of the watch for is “AL”, which
stands for alarm, this is active when
the alarm is turned on and when the
alarm time is being set.


Digital Watch: Affordances
The controls on the watch allow for pressing, buttons on the side can be pressed and the buttons on the side of the clasp can also be pressed. There is a series of
holes and hooks on the inside of the clasp that allow adjustment to size, the affordance is limited by the bracelet being fixed to the watch and the holes having a
pattern that locks with the hooks in one direction only.

Push Buttons

-Buttons A, B, C, and D can be
pressed
-Long-press is used in some
modes/functions

Clasp

-Buttons on side can be pushed
towards center to open clasp
-Hinged mechanism closes and
snaps into place
-Hooks and holes allow for size
adjustment


Digital Watch: Mapping
The mapping on this watch can create confusion with the multiple modes and unfamiliar display. Not having labels on anything visible combined with changing
functions depending on what mode it ends up feeling like a random guess with every button press. The watch does have labels on the wrist-facing side, these
can help a user learn to navigate features while using the watch off-wrist. The point should also be made clear that this mapping is flawed, having to flip the
watch around makes operation less than ideal at times and the learning process lacks reward.

-Backlight/Night-mode

-In time-set modes this is a PLUS button
-In Chrono/Stopwatch mode this is
START/STOP/RESTART

-Long pressing in most modes enters a timeset function
-Once in time-set modes this button
confirms entries (long-press) and
advances to next value (short press)

-In time-set modes this is a MINUS button
-In alarm-set mode this is the ON/OFF alarm
toggle
-In Chrono/Stopwatch mode this is RESET
(long-press)

Button Labeling is engraved on
the bottom of the watch case
(facing wrist)


Digital Watch: Constraints
Constraints are found within the clasp mechanism. It seems to be a modified version of what is referred to as a “Deployant clasp”, this is an alternative to having a
buckle system on a strapped watch. This clasp has specific cuts in the holes so that it locks in at the desired size, the buttons on the side to release are clear in
function but the manufacturing feels cheap and requires a bit of pulling to open the clasp.

Clasp

Nooka Clasp
Closed

-Constrained to one direction on
the strap

Open
Push
Buttons
Toward
Center

-New approach to a traditional
clasp design
-Low-quality manufacturing
makes it sometimes difficult to
remove
-Clasp pin makes a snap noise and
sometimes sounds like it may be
damaged


Similar Design but Higher Quality Clasp
Closed

Open
Push
Buttons
Toward
Center

Digital Watch: Solutions
Many of the problems with this watch have to do with the design aiming for a style rather than building for utility. Some of the finest wristwatches in the world
don’t even have a seconds hand, often times it’s left out because a clean and simple dial is considered more classic and aesthetically pleasing. The Nooka watch
was built to be unique and introduce a different concept for displaying time, they overcomplicated things by adding too many utility features such as the date
mode, stopwatch, and alarm.

First... Let’s Be Honest

-This watch was never designed to be a
utility device
-Would you use this as a stopwatch?
-How about an alarm?

-It is not water resistant
-Plenty of other watches do a better job at
clearly answering “What time is it?”

Solutions

-Make it deliberately about fashion and trim
out the utility features
-The features don’t add value with the current level of
complexity

-Higher quality clasp
-Better materials
-Make it water resistant

-At the price point this is a must, people should not have
to worry about a watch taking on water


Espresso Machine: Overview
Espresso machines often vary greatly in price and complexity. Advanced users prefer to have control over specific parameters, where as more casual users prefer
a machine with more automatic features. In this case we are looking at the Briel Domus Due, it is a good machine with many nice features that an advanced user
can enjoy, but it has a flaw in the design involving pressure that can build in the filter, this pressure can lead to hot coffee and steam projecting from the machine when the user removes the filter.


Espresso Machine: Consistency
Casual coffee drinkers and espresso enthusiasts have different mental models, the conceptual model in this case caters more toward the enthusiast. Below it is
the mental model for a more casual coffee drinker. A casual coffee drinker would probably have a lot of learning to do, for a coffee enthusiast with a developed
mental model the Briel machine offers convenient features such as a built in tamp, which is used to tightly compress the ground coffee prior to brewing.

Conceptual Model
Water

Ground
Espresso

Scoop
Into Filter
Cup

Loose
Grounds

Cold
Milk

Briel
Domus Due

Tamped
Grounds

Steamed
Milk

Latte

Espresso

Mental Model

Water

Ground
Espresso

Espresso
Machine

Scoop
Into Filter
Cup
ANALOG


Espresso

Espresso Machine: Visibility
The espresso machine has visible controls with basic symbols that indicate operation status. When it powers on a red light comes on, and when it is ready to
brew a green light illuminates. In the center is a pressure gauge that gives direct feedback to the user when the pump mechanism is sending water from the
chamber. The user can also easily see the coffee being dispensed and when in steam mode steam ejects from the nozzle on the side where the steam control
knob is located. A water level window is also on the side of the machine so a user knows how much they have at any given time.

Cup Warming Area
Power/Start/Stop Knob

Pressure Gauge
Built-in Tamp
Coffee Dispensing Area


Water Chamber Lid

Cup Size Knob
Milk Steamer Knob
Water Level Window
Steam Nozzle
Drip Tray

Espresso Machine: Feedback
The espresso machine provides feedback for the power and ready states with two lights, red and green respectively. During the brew process the analog pressure gauge is active and a low reading can indicate to the user if there is air in the hoses or a problem with the machine. All controls are knobs, when the machine is started the knob automatically returns to it’s prior position but the dispensing of coffee is a direct form of feedback, repeating the twist action on the
start knob will stop the brew immediately.

Ready

On

Water Level
Window

Dispenses
Coffee Here

Dispenses
Steam Here

Red light illuminates when powered on

Green light illuminates when heating element and
pump are ready to brew

Coffee or steam is immediately dispensed when
the control for either is activated

Espresso Machine: Affordances
The controls on the espresso machine only allow for turning. The water chamber has a fixed lid with a removable tank that can be pulled out using two handles.
The coffee chamber twists in one direction to attach to the machine and back out in the same direction to remove. Affordances are limited and make this seemingly complicated machine rather simple. The built in tamp is exactly sized to fit with the coffee filter and affords for pulling upwards and twisting to tamp the
grounds.

Knobs and handles afford twisting

Lid affords opening along hinge


Water tank affords pulling/pushing

Espresso Machine: Mapping
The mapping on this machine seems to be well-planned and controls are arranged in a logical order. The use of basic diagrams on the knobs helps during the
learning stages but after a short amount of time the three knobs have easy functions and locations to remember.

A

B
C
D

Knobs

-A has 3 positions

-top=off
-middle=on
-down=start brew/stop brew

-B has a limited range (~80°)

-bottom=small cup (strong- less water)
-near top=large cup (weak- more water)
*user can set to large cup but use knob A to stop
at any time to manually control strength


Tamp and Filter Cup
-C Integrated tamp

-located near coffee dispensing area
-convenient and offers good leverage
-user must pull upwards
-machine is heavy but a second hand is
needed to support top if aggressive tamping
is desired

-D Grounds cup

-Twists directly onto brewing area
-Removable/reusable filter
-Large handle is useful while tamping
grounds

E

Steam Control Knob
-E Steam control located
above steam nozzle

-45° turning range
-located directly above steam nozzle
-easy to determine relationship

Espresso Machine: Constraints
Constraints are found on almost every movable part on the espresso machine. The water tank cover is hinged and the tank itself has large grooves that prevent it
from being inserted incorrectly. The filter for the brew cup has ridges so that it locks into place, the brew cup filter is also sized to fit exactly onto the built-in
tamp. The brew cup locks into place by twisting and only turns in one direction. Lastly the drip tray is removable and is contoured to fit facing one direction only,
the constraints make it is nearly impossible to reassemble anything incorrectly.

-Hinged cover constrains water tank
access

-Notches on the brew cup constrain
filter placement

-Drip tray constrained to only face one
direction
-Locking mechanism with one-way
turning

-Notches on water tank prevent backwards assembly

Espresso Machine: Solutions
Many things were done well with the design of this machine but there is one major problem: the brew chamber can build significant pressure and cause a mess!
If a user decides to make espresso and then steam milk without first removing the brew chamber pressure builds and essentially explodes once the user releases
the lock. This may be because of a Y-valve system with the steam mechanism or it could be the brewed grounds continue to emit steam which gets trapped in
the chamber, without taking the machine apart it is difficult to say.

This is a great machine, but...

-The brew chamber builds pressure and
can cause a coffee explosion!
-Currently the user must remember to remove the brew
cup prior to steaming milk
-The device gives no feedback to the pressure in the brew
cup
-Accidentally leaving the brew cup while steaming milk
can lead to an unpleasant surprise during cleanup

Solution

-Make some type of pressure release
-Integrated with activation of milk steamer
-A button on the brew cup handle
-Something that happens automatically once brewing has
stopped and until the brew cup is removed


Joe jancsics 3 Flawed Designs

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