Anne Quarg from EYE SQUARE conducted a live usability test with trade show visitors at the IFA in Berlin - the international trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. Anne Quarg showed what makes digital cameras, navigation devices and smartphones really usable.
The Berlin-based TV broadcaster RBB Fernsehen invited trade show visitors to take part in the testing at their booth. Three randomly chosen people of different age were asked to fulfill different tasks one with a digital camera, one with a navigation device and one with a smartphone.
Anne Quarg observed them and explained why some features are easy to find and others not.
Digital Camera without Autotimer?
The testperson with the digital camera could handle the basic features of the camera quite easily. He had no problems with taking pictures, changing the settings for image quality or recording a video.
However, the search for the autotimer turned out to be a problem. Anne Quarg pointed out that both the position and labeling of the function were unusual. In this case, only a glance in the user manual would have helped.
Navigation Device: the Devil is in the Details
As well, the basic functions of the navigation device were easy to handle. A destination could be entered quite quickly. But the test person failed to enter a stopover - again due to the unusual and thus unexpected position of the feature.
Anne Quarg knows why: “Often, the user has experiences with similar devices and keeps up the habits learned. If this knowledge is not transferrable to the new device, problems may occur.
Smartphone features easy to learn
Thinking about users' habits when designing a new product still allows for real innovations. If the user gets the opportunity to familiarize with new features in a quick and autonomous way even an innovative device with brand new functions offers a good usability.
The tested smartphone showed such a usability. The test person was totally unfamiliar with the touchscreen of the mobile device. However, he just needed to try twice to find and use basic features like SMS, email and the camera.
Home appliances: inexpedient design
Not only consumer electronics but as well home appliances should be user friendly. On her tour through the exhibition halls, Anne Quarg pointed out that the appliances should be adapted to their special purpose of use.
“When someone only wants a cup of coffee, he or she should not be forced to argue with thousands of buttons, switches and descriptive texts”, Anne Quarg states. “Coffee makers with one-touch operation are far more user friendly.”
Car stereo safe and user friendly
In the car stereo section, Anne Quarg praised designs with assymetric buttons, since they can be distinguished easily by touch even while driving. So the driver can keep his eyes on the road while switching channels.
Poor usability is not the users' fault
At the end of the day, Anne Quargs summarizes: "A poor usability of consumer electronics is definitely not the users' fault.” It is rather up to the companies and the designers to keep in mind and integrate the users’ needs and habits.
Structures and symbols learnt should be picked up since they offer orientation. New functions should be easy to learn: optic, acoustic and haptic feedback helps the user to see whether his interaction was successful or not.
Watch the show WAS! of the RBB from 6 Sep 2010 online (german)
