Interaction Design in the Wild
Some Interaction Designers believe that Interaction Design is strictly about digital products: software, computers, phones, etc. I believe that Interaction Designers can have valuable input into any problem that involves the interaction between a person and something else. The following story happened yesterday and serves to illustrate my point.
My office purchases the majority of its supplies from Staples. Their printer paper is packaged in plastic, but is wrapped the same as reams that are packaged in paper. It’s basically wrapped as you would a present—the seam is on the back, and the wrapper is folded in on the top and bottom ends and sealed down. The standard way to open such a package is to peel up one of the end flaps and unfold it. Then, slide the ream of paper out. Some people in our office try to do exactly the same thing with plastic-wrapped reams from Staples. However, the sealed plastic doesn’t open as easily as glued paper. It is a lot of work, as the plastic tends to tear off in little pieces, leaving the seal intact. I know this, as I have to admit that I opened one or two packages in this way myself.
One of my co-workers walked by my desk today after having just gone through this ordeal. After getting the paper out, she noticed that there is an “Easy Open Tab” on the back of the package. As you can see in the photos below, the tab is advertised on the front and back of the package. A quick analysis of a user scenario will reveal the problem.
John just sent something to the printer and received an error stating that it is out of paper. He goes to the printer, finds a new package of paper, and tears it open. As he is not currently shopping for paper, he is not at all interested in what the packaging has to say. Based on countless past experiences with printer paper packaging, his immediate action is to open one of the ends. He never sees the indicators for the “Easy Open Tab” amid all the other text covering the wrapper.
A likely solution would be to put an indicator right in the center of the flap on either end of the package. Given that there is little or no other text or graphics, it would be more noticeable, and would be exactly where John’s focus is when attempting to open it.
If the designer of the packaging were to follow standard Interaction Design processes and observe someone using the product, this problem would likely surface. Thinking about the mindset and goals of the user explains why the current design doesn’t work and suggests an appropriate solution.