Understanding the user who isn't you

Simplifying mobile communications

We take mobile communication for granted but the more functionality we demand of our phones, the more complex they are to use.

I love this quote from Bjarne Stroustrup, inventor of the C++ computer language: 'There's an old story about the person who wished his computer were as easy to use as his telephone. That wish has come true, since I no longer know how to use my telephone.'

Time and again surveys tell us that people use their phones for their calling, text and clock functionality. The high cost and poor user experience of other services, such as mobile web browsing, has made people anxious about experimenting to find a niche for them in their lives.

But change may be on the way: the Apple iPhone has demonstrated how accessible sophisticated functionality can be – albeit at a cost. If other phone manufacturers and service providers can follow suit with usability and affordability, behaviours are bound to change.

Click here for a 2008 survey of mobile phone use
Click here for more on the iPhone

Right time, right place

Several years ago I was part of a team that reviewed London Underground's passenger information. Our report Right time, right place covered everything from the audibility of PA announcements to the opportunities for real-time information on people's computer screens, before they left their desks to make their journey home (this was long before mobile access to the internet).

I was reminded of the report when I first saw the 'time to gate' signs, now common in many large airports. That really is information 'at the right time and in the right place', and much needed in an unfamiliar environment, now choc-a-bloc with retailers jockeying to attract potential customers’ attention.

Easy to be green

After many years of instant and disposable products, the extra effort required to re-cycle and re-use materials often puts people off. So it’s great when businesses help their customers, as Hewlett Packard are doing by attaching reply-paid re-cycling envelopes to new printer cartridges.

Printer cartridges are often replaced under time pressure and the last thing most users want is to bother about storing an old cartridge until they can re-cycle it. In recognising this behaviour HP has shown its commitment both to sustainability and to its customers. It makes good business sense too: the positive user experience and perception of HP as a business will be carried forward to future transactions.

What I do

I work with organisations to help them design products and services that meet the needs of the people who will use them.*

I use direct observation to reveal people’s everyday experiences, what works well for them, and the gaps where development could meet their needs.

I draw on my background in psychology and design to interpret what users express, and to move that forward to new ideas.

Sometimes the questions I answer are broad: what shall our organisation do next for our users?
Sometimes they are narrow: how can this technology be made easy and attractive for people to use?
Sometimes they are very specific: how can this be explained or designed so people will understand and use it?

* I blog about user-centred design and related matters at Brain Attic