In his final chapter of The Human Factor, Vicente (2003) asserts “we’ve had enough of the turbulent, frustrating effects inflicted by the traditional current of thought” (p. 285). He encourages consumers if they “want to live in a world that celebrates humanity and the human factor, then buy Human-tech products” (p. 291). I agree we should no longer accept products designed by and for Mechanists, however, can we “distinguish and recognize poorly designed products?” (p. 291). How do we build the critical skill set necessary to move beyond complacency in our products?
When the Nintendo DS was launched in 2004, I remember the incredible amount of hype that accompanied it. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed this extraordinary piece of gaming hardware. It promised wi-fi connectivity, an interactive touch screen interface with stylus, and dual screens. As I tore past the layers of cardboard and plastic wrapping and held the DS in my hands for the first time, my excitement was curtailed by the sheer bulkiness of the device. Yet the marketing machine of Nintendo had done such a great job of convincing me this was the future of handheld gaming, that somehow I was able to cast aside the clunky exterior in favour of innovative gameplay. Subsequent iterations of the DS offered slimmer versions with less cumbersome styluses, but I had already supported Nintendo’s first version and its inferior design.
Recently our school purchased a new photocopier. At a PD day last month, we signed up for a one-hour training session with a company technician to learn how to use the product. During this session, I recounted some of what I had learned about design in this course. Armed with this newfound knowledge, I was able to identify the many flaws inherent in the design. I felt very pleased with myself, yet discouraged at the same time. The purchase decision had already been made. We were stuck with this expensive, terrible monstrosity. Now what?
While I agree with Vicente wholeheartedly in supporting Human-Tech products, the reality is some of these products are either cleverly marketed and disguised as great products or imposed upon us. This does not mean that change is impossible; rather, change is incremental. As we become better educated to advocate for improvements in the design of our products, my the hope is this will accelerate the rate of change.
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