In designing an interface, I believe there are three different categories that need to be considered: basic functionality, special/additional features and overall look. In a past blog, I stated that "smarts" were more important than "shininess". Smarts in that blog encompassed both basic functionality AND special features, but here I plan to discuss the difference between the two categories within smarts. This is not to say that the overall look of an interface does not deserve its own discussion, but that will be one for another day. So, in discussing the two categories of smarts, we come again to the question of which is more important: basic functionality or special features. In this comparison, as opposed to the smarts vs. shininess debate, the answer seems a little more clear to me. If your interface lacks basic functionality, then it really serves no purpose. If your interface is designed to do one thing, but cannot complete the main task, then it serves no purpose. It may have bells and whistles and so on, but, in the end, if it cannot do what it is marketed to do, no one is going to want to use it and, if you're running a company that needs the business, obviously, you're going to suffer.
However, if you are able to implement basic functionality, I believe special features are the next step in implementation of a design for your interface. As I stated before, smarts are more important than shininess and that includes both categories of smarts. Special features are what distinguish your product from the competition. Sure, there are a ton of search engines out there, but it seems that the most success, beyond having accurate searches, are those that have additional features that allow you to narrow down your search or search among images and so on. What inspired me to write about this topic in the first place was the auto-complete feature. It may seem like a fairly trivial feature in the long run, but I've always found it to be very useful especially when I'm searching for something where I might only know one detail. With auto-complete, I can see, almost instantly, what other searches have been done with my search term in them and can decide if any are appropriate for what I am trying to find. This is especially help on sites like YouTube where I might know the first or last name of a singer or band, or maybe just one word in the main title of a song. With auto-complete, once I type that one word, there's almost always an option that pop-ups that rings a bell in my head and directs me to what I'm looking for.
Features like auto-complete are what make website interfaces more competitive. Without the bells and whistles, even if your product has great basic functionality, people are probably going to be turned off by the simple design and lack of further options. The next step would be to make things look pretty, but, as Google has shown us, you don't always need a "shiny" website to be popular. Their basic design is almost welcoming in that you are not bombarded with sidebars and advertisements and pop-ups and who knows what else. However, "look" is a discussion for another day. For now, in summary, while basic functionality is important to implement at first, it is important to develop, and probably continue to develop, special features, or bells and whistles that make your design and interface more appealing and useful than the competitions'.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Week 6 - "Digital" Menus
For this week's blog entry, I won't be talking about something in particular, but rather an idea I came across recently. Being a Senior, I've been receiving a ton of emails from companies letting me know about information sessions, positions and so on. One of those emails was from a group called Clarity Consulting and, while I'm not really sure what I would be doing there if I actually applied for a job, they did have some neat interface work in one of their videos. One of the most interesting things that caught my eye were the "digital" menus they made. By digital, I mean menus that are on a computer screen and allow you to choose food that way as opposed to in person. While some people have probably thought of this idea before, I suppose I was so used to doing it in person that the thought had never really crossed my mind, but it does make sense.
There are many reasons a digital menu is a good idea. For one, I know there are certain things I forget to say or ask about and, if I had to step through a digital menu, I would run across each option page and be reminded of what I actually want (everyone gets the "ordering jitters" every now and again where they just kind of blank on what they are ordering, right?). Another reason, and a more practical one, would be the ability to see a more full version of what you are getting. For those with poor eyesight, the closer menu would be a welcomed relief and for those who need to see what they are ordering before they actually do (does anyone really know the different between all those different Italian noodles?), it would also be helpful because each option could include a "close-up" or enlarged image of the product. A third reason might be to eliminate awkward interactions with cashiers. I'm not saying cashiers are bad at their job or that I want to run people out of a job, but there are times I'd just rather punch a view buttons, get an order number and grab my food. Now, something some might consider to be a problem would be payment, but they have self-checkouts at grocery stores and the payment would essentially run the same way.
Besides the reason for such an idea to be implemented in full force, there also has to be some discussion on how such an idea would need to be implemented. Fr starters, the main screen might have the different categories of food, for example, the meals, side orders, drinks and desserts. Once you enter a category, let's say meals, you would then have a familiar layout to the menu you normally see above and behind the counter except that when you select a meal it would show you an enlarged image of what you are ordering as well as move you through further ordering steps. For an example, let's say you go to McDonald's. One might choose to look at the meals and then choose the cheeseburger. For there, the next screen might be what you actually want on the cheeseburger where the standard options are already chosen, but can bee deselected if desired. From there, you might choose between the different fry options (if there are different options) and then what kind of drink. After that, you would be able to choose what size meal you want and then would be returned to the main screen with your recent choice added to a list (probably on the right hand side of the screen) that lists what you have ordered. Once you have fund and added everything you want, you would "check out", receive a number and then pick up your food when ready.
All in all, such an addition to restaurants would serve a definite purpose. On a more important level, while there are those who might argue such a system would cause people to lose jobs that are important in that they can be offered to almost anyone from any background, I don't think these machines would eliminate the need for some personal interaction in the places that use these. Furthermore, if a cost effective means could be employed in the future, it would be great to see these menus at sit-down restaurants as well because there are so many more in-depth options at these places and, personally, I want to see a picture of everything being offered and with paper menus that isn't a realistic possibility in most situations. Additionally, the waitress would not have to keep "pestering" a table of slow decision makers when they could choose at their own pace via the menu.
There are many reasons a digital menu is a good idea. For one, I know there are certain things I forget to say or ask about and, if I had to step through a digital menu, I would run across each option page and be reminded of what I actually want (everyone gets the "ordering jitters" every now and again where they just kind of blank on what they are ordering, right?). Another reason, and a more practical one, would be the ability to see a more full version of what you are getting. For those with poor eyesight, the closer menu would be a welcomed relief and for those who need to see what they are ordering before they actually do (does anyone really know the different between all those different Italian noodles?), it would also be helpful because each option could include a "close-up" or enlarged image of the product. A third reason might be to eliminate awkward interactions with cashiers. I'm not saying cashiers are bad at their job or that I want to run people out of a job, but there are times I'd just rather punch a view buttons, get an order number and grab my food. Now, something some might consider to be a problem would be payment, but they have self-checkouts at grocery stores and the payment would essentially run the same way.
Besides the reason for such an idea to be implemented in full force, there also has to be some discussion on how such an idea would need to be implemented. Fr starters, the main screen might have the different categories of food, for example, the meals, side orders, drinks and desserts. Once you enter a category, let's say meals, you would then have a familiar layout to the menu you normally see above and behind the counter except that when you select a meal it would show you an enlarged image of what you are ordering as well as move you through further ordering steps. For an example, let's say you go to McDonald's. One might choose to look at the meals and then choose the cheeseburger. For there, the next screen might be what you actually want on the cheeseburger where the standard options are already chosen, but can bee deselected if desired. From there, you might choose between the different fry options (if there are different options) and then what kind of drink. After that, you would be able to choose what size meal you want and then would be returned to the main screen with your recent choice added to a list (probably on the right hand side of the screen) that lists what you have ordered. Once you have fund and added everything you want, you would "check out", receive a number and then pick up your food when ready.
All in all, such an addition to restaurants would serve a definite purpose. On a more important level, while there are those who might argue such a system would cause people to lose jobs that are important in that they can be offered to almost anyone from any background, I don't think these machines would eliminate the need for some personal interaction in the places that use these. Furthermore, if a cost effective means could be employed in the future, it would be great to see these menus at sit-down restaurants as well because there are so many more in-depth options at these places and, personally, I want to see a picture of everything being offered and with paper menus that isn't a realistic possibility in most situations. Additionally, the waitress would not have to keep "pestering" a table of slow decision makers when they could choose at their own pace via the menu.
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