Love Your Users

The Thrill of Grocery Shopping

janet — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 21:45:28 +0000

I love to shop. Show me a quaint shopping district, and I’ll show you an afternoon filled with passionate ooohs and soulful ahhhhhs. There is something about a store filled with pretty things that makes my heart beat fast and wallet open wide.

The less I need something, the more I want to shop. Shopping for nothing at all? Good. Shopping for something I really need? Bad. Take the weekly chore of grocery shopping. I put it off as long as I can. You walk up and down the isles, hear awful soft rock in the background, and load your cart with the same thing you bought last week. Not thrilling.

Grocery store chains know this. They know their customer base is made up of people like me. Over the years they have made some interesting attempts to excite their customers. There was the warehouse store angle. “Let’s junk up the store to make people feel like they are really getting a good value”. There’s the convenience angle. “Let’s give them banking, pharmacy, floral, health food, and Starbucks all under one roof.” Then there’s the kill them with kindness angle. “We’ll train our clerks to be really, really nice and insist on taking their groceries to their cars”.

None of these attempts hit the magic note with me, although I appreciate the thought. That changed this week when I shopped at the new grocery store in town. Their angle? A combination of beauty and simplicity. Their efforts were apparent. “Let’s replace the normal with the delightful. Then, let’s concentrate on a few key areas and do it better than anyone else”. What banking? Go to a bank. Want pharmacy? Go to a drug store. Want a pleasant grocery experience? You’ve come to the right place.

Why did the store impress me? It was the little things. Upon entering, I was given a map that told me the store’s layout. This is a good usability no-brainer for a new store. However, thinking back, I don’t recall ever receiving a map of a new store before.

There was an obvious emphasis on produce. Its grand presence seemed to welcome you as you entered the store. The colors, textures, and shapes of fruits and vegetables were arranged to please the eyes. Pretty produce? Yes.

The design of the store also impressed me. It didn’t feel like I had to navigate through long isles to get to the core food. Bread, produce, and dairy were all perceived to be within reasonable reach. Their other “do it better than anyone else” area was a ready-made section with an assortment of self-service food. This section was so large, it was almost overwhelming. Normally, the community dish-it-yourself concept is a bit troubling for me. However, I decided to try it out by dishing up a container of hot soup. The container was heated! When I looked for fresh bread to go with the soup, I was able to find a small loaf that was the perfect size for the 2 of us. These efforts were appreciated attempts to branch away from the norm by addressing the needs of the user.

My favorite usability concepts were demonstrated in the store. Determine your primary purpose and make it perfect. Know your user, find their needs, and do what you can to please them.

Although I still dread the chore for grocery shopping, it is nice to know that my ho-hum was transformed to wow.

More Information:

Store pictures from nuggetmarket.com

PDF file of the store map

The Car and the Microwave

janet — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:07:34 +0000

The year was 1980. I decided that college wasn’t for me, so I dropped out to pursue a career in retail management at JC Penneys. A steady paycheck and a frugal lifestyle allowed me to make 2 large purchases that year. The first was a brand new silver Honda Civic. The second was a microwave.

I purchased the car on a whim. My own inexperience and a fast talking salesman caused me to buy it without any advance thought or planning. Luckily, everything worked out. My impulse purchase ended up being one of the best decisions of my young life.

The microwave was a different story. When I first heard of the potential of a microwave, I considered it a miracle. Imagine the ability to reduce a task from an hour to minutes. At the time, microwaves were not commonplace, nor were they cheap. My heart told me to buy one. My brain told me no.

My store had an Appliances Department and I found myself wandering down the microwave isle on occasion to check them out. I learned about cooking modes, adjustable racks, and meat probes. I was wooed with tales of fast-cooking baked potatoes, frozen dinners, and roasts. Think of the timesavings! “With the time I could save, I could practically get a second job”, I thought. I decided to buy one. How could I afford not to?

My next step was to decide on a model. The entry-level model was too small. It had only one cooking mode. The ultra deluxe superior model was too large. It would take too much space in my small apartment. The deluxe model was just right. It had 10 cooking modes, 10 temperatures, and an assortment of special cooking pans.

I took it home and read the owner’s manual and accompanying recipe book. I quickly concluded that if I was going to use the device to its highest potential, I was going to have to go back to college. It was complicated. “Place contents in pan. Cook 3 minutes using the low temperature setting. Turn pan. Cook 5 minutes using the casserole-cooking mode. Move contents to a specialty pan. Cook 5 minutes on high. Enjoy your rubbery meal.”

I eventually settled on a fair and reasonable use for the microwave. Its main purpose was clear. Use it to heat, use it to reheat, but don’t use it to cook. No amount of specialty pans or recipe books will make microwave-cooked food taste good. I threw away the user manual and set it for the default temperature and cooking mode.

This experience began my awareness of usability. I realized that as a consumer living in the emerging digital age, I must just say no to items having features that I will not use. If use of the item requires something other than basic intuition, it is likely not for me.

Decades later, as I watch my frozen enchilada and rice meal rotate in the microwave oven, I still marvel at its usefulness. They took away the silly features and simplified the core features. If it is essential to turn the food while it cooks, then rotate it automatically. If most users cook frozen dinners, baked potatoes, and popcorn, then provide them with preset controls. If it takes up too much space on the countertop, then design it to fit above the stove.

The concept of changing the complex to the simple is the cornerstone of my usability and design passion. Determine the primary purpose of the item and make it perform this function perfectly. If advanced features are possible, then great. Go crazy. Just make sure it does not get in the way of the primary purpose.

This is how Honda designed my cute little 1980 Civic, and it transformed a car industry. Think about it.

I’m a user with an opinion

janet — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:33:50 +0000

You might be wondering if I have the necessary credentials to write about design, simplicity, and usability. This is a reasonable question to ask someone whose words you will read and ponder. I regret to say that the answer is no. I have no design course credit hours, no thesis papers, and no extraordinary claims on my resume.

Think of me as ordinary. I have a limb on a family tree, a position on an org chart, and an address in a community. I have a credit score, a phone number, and a dozen or so usernames. I’m a consumer, a customer, and a client. I’m a user of things large and small, old and new, cheap and expensive, physical and digital. I follow instructions, obey laws, and fulfill expectations. I marvel at the complex, but find delight in the simple.

Think of me as typical. It is the typical user experience that I want to discuss. What makes something usable? What motivates us and what frustrates us? What do we wish to avoid and what tickels our fancy? How does the pursuit of simplicity and design provide usability? What can we learn from the experts, and what can we learn from our own experiences? Be it an online task, an everyday item, or a process, I want to write about it.

Think of me as a user with an opinion. Join me each week as I discuss the topics of design, usability, and simplicity. Don’t read me because I’m an expert. Read me because I’m not.

Becoming Betty

janet — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 05:31:51 +0000

I have spent most of my career thinking about Betty and attempting to avoid being her. Picture a graying, but energetic 5 foot 1 inch woman who wears elastic-back jeans, white tennis shoes and a flowered cotton shirt that smells of her latest cigarette. Picture a talker. Her raspy voice echoes in my ears as I think back to my many conversations with her. When she talked, she usually complained and when she complained she inspired the feeling of doom. There was an unwritten rule known universally by everyone in the office. Avoid Betty.

One of the first bright spots in my career was when I was handpicked to help create a process for data entry in our new customized billing system. I was working for Sprint in their customized billing department. Many of Sprint’s high-end business customers had special contracts that were not compatible with the generic billing system. The new system was a welcome relief to the manual work that the department had been doing for years. I was thrilled to be part of the new process and was flattered to be chosen to help with the transition. I was told that I would be working with one other person who was also handpicked for the job. Imagine how shocked I was when I learned that the other person was Betty.

I quickly learned that Betty had a wealth of knowledge. She knew the business and knew how to get things done. After a month or two, it became obvious that we were a good pair. I was quiet but ambitious and naive but determined. Betty was cautious but realistic and tired but watchful. She was half-empty and I was half full. I worked side by side with Betty for 2 years and rejoiced with her when she finally retired. She was finally free from her 8 to 5 hell. And I was free from Betty’s 98 pounds of negative weight.

Betty left a lasting impression on me. Although I had grown to love and respect her, she was my inspiration of what not to be. We spend 1/3 of our life at work. Why make it a miserable experience? I promised myself that if I ever found myself consumed with pain over my 8 to 5 life, I would remember Betty and lighten-up.

Then last week after a closed-door yelling match with my boss and a few sleepless nights thinking about this hell that I call a job, I finally realized the truth. I couldn’t avoid being Betty, because I have been Betty all along. We are one and the same. Sure, my footwear of choice is a high-heeled boot and I prefer silence to chatter and Diet Pepsi to Virginia Slims. But we share the same heart. We have an instinct that allows us to clearly distinguish between right and wrong in the workplace. That which is right is what drives our passions and fuels our ambitions. Our biggest fear is mediocrity. And when we are forced to comply with such silliness as design by committee, we are driven to a state of craziness that cannot be avoided. We have learned that hope in the form of “CQI”, “Robust dialog” and “Entrepreneurial Leadership” is simply a facade. We know that when the boss tells you, “We care about usability and want you to be our usability product manager” it must be built on a platform of something other than straw, or it is guaranteed to dissolve into the wind.

Betty’s pursuit of quality, simplicity and common sense was beaten by corporate think. Her wins were eclipsed by her loses and she ended up with a broken heart. Betty’s defense was to complain.

So there you have it. Sure as the gravity that has taken over my aging body, there is no disputing that I have become my worst nightmare. The groundwork is laid and there’s no stopping it. My only option is to admit I have the problem and deal with it. “I am Janet and I am destined to be bitter and angry.” From here I have to choose. Do I continue to listen to my heart and let my ambitions rule? Or, do I simply check out now and force myself not to care? I choose the latter. To quote a fellow co-worker who has faced this decision previously, “I feel much better now that I have lost all hope.”

———————————–

For the last year, I have enjoyed posting to this blog. In light of my new attitude, I have opted not to continue the hosting service contract. This will be my last post. “You say you want usability? Talk to the committee!”

Thanks for listening. It was fun.

The Tortoise, the Hare, and the Committee

janet — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:01:28 +0000

Recall the fable of the tortoise and the hare. The story’s hero, the tortoise, challenged the confidant hare to a race. The favored hare started the race off quickly, but decided to take a nap along the way. He awoke to see the tortoise cross the finish line. What lesson did Aesop’s tale teach us? Slow and steady wins the race.

Let’s change the subject for a moment and talk about committees.

I remember my first committee. I joined the bake sale committee in the 7th grade. Our goal was to raise money for a charitable cause. The committee had a leader and several members. The leader wrote a list of tasks on a sheet of paper and asked us to sign up for our desired task. I reviewed the list and signed up for the task of publicizing the sale. I worked with a few other students who signed up for the same task. Our idea was to promote the bake sale by creating posters and hanging them throughout the school. Based on the knowledge of the date of the bake sale and a few guidelines from the school administration, we created our own timeline and specifications. It did not require meetings, lengthy documentation, signoff, or full consensus. I am happy to report that the bake sale was a huge success.

Since then, I have served on numerous committees. Most of my committee experience has been as a paid member of Corporate America. Thinking back, I can’t recall a better committee than my first. Instead, I remember long meetings, agendas that no one stuck to and meeting minutes that no one read. Many committees started with a bang but dissolved quickly and quietly never to be heard from again. Other committees were an obvious attempt to collectively make a decision so blame could be shared. Once I spent an entire year avoiding real work by attending meetings that produced a lot of talk, but not a fraction of action. It was this realization that caused me to seek another job with a new company.

Committees are costly. I am currently on a committee to create requirements for the redesign our intranet homepage. The committee consists of over 10 people. To date, we have collectively logged over 100 meeting hours. The number of hours has exceeded the number of words of actionable requirements.

I’m not the only one who has negative words about committees. Scott Adams has built a career out of it. Milton Berle is credited with saying, “a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours”. We have all been victims of Design by Committee and Group think. If there is anything good to say about committees in Corporate America, it is that it would make Aesop happy. Committees ensure slowness and steadiness.

So I ask you. Does the concept of slow and steady belong in today’s business environment? If it does, then I will have to agree that committees are useful. If it does not, then perhaps we should start thinking like the hare. The movement-loving hare quickly left the starting block in route to his destination. He knew the goal and knew how to reach it. He had taken the path many times before and if decisions were needed along the way, he would make them then. He was an independent type who liked having the freedom and flexibility to adjust when adjustment was necessary.

Sure, the hare made a few mistakes along the way, but at least he made it to the finish line.

This ain’t your father’s intranet. Part 2.

janet — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 13:39:13 +0000

I was recently asked to put together some screen prints from the Nielsen Norman Group’s Intranet Design Annual 2006 report of the ten best intranets. The screen prints were to be used by the team brainstorming features for our intranet homepage redesign. Normally, this activity would result in an increase to my pulse rate. Each time I read the report, I am inspired by the assorted innovative and usable designs presented in the report.

This time it was different. I had read the report several months earlier and was admittedly inspired by what I saw. But in the year that has passed since the 10 best intranets were introduced, the next generation of web technologies has hit the mainstream. Last year’s innovative homepage design is now yesterday’s punch cards.

The next report will be published shortly. I am anxious to see how this year’s winners are using the new technologies. Meanwhile, I am excited about our homepage redesign plans. One thing’s for sure. It won’t be our father’s intranet.

This ain’t your father’s intranet. Part 1.

janet — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:31:06 +0000

This will never happen again. Today I am writing about the same subject as thousands of other bloggers. Today we are all writing about Time Magazine’s pick as the Person of the Year. If you haven’t heard, this year’s person of the year is you. The POTY is the collective you, the lovely user community. The title goes to all of us who are contributing to the web community.

To quote the Time Magazine article, “It’s a story about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. It’s about the cosmic compendium of knowledge Wikipedia and the million-channel people’s network YouTube and the online metropolis MySpace. It’s about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.”

“We’re looking at an explosion of productivity and innovation, and it’s just getting started, as millions of minds that would otherwise have drowned in obscurity get backhauled into the global intellectual economy.”

Web 2.0 has hit the mainstream and business as usual has gone bye-bye. The new generation has arrived. As of now, this can no longer be your father’s intranet.

Social Software is perfect for an intranet (or is it?)

janet — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 06:01:09 +0000

What do you get when you cross an Intranet with political correctness and an outraged employee community?

a. Delight
b. Disgust
c. Disappointment
d. All of the above (the answer)

So, what am I talking about? Read on.

Monday Evening

HR posted a news story on the homepage of our Intranet. The headline read, “$5,000 employee referral bonus for diverse candidate referrals”. The news story announced a new job hire incentive program. The article read, “Refer a minority candidate (specifically, people of color) to help us fill current management postings or any other management position that may post in 2007.” The normal incentive for a management referral is $500.00.

Tuesday Morning

Employees began to post their concerns about the program on our CEO Discussion board called Talk with Rob. The first posting was quite tame and Rob quickly responded, defending the program with an easy vanilla answer. As the day went on, the postings began to get more interesting. A few employees defended the program, but most postings were from employees who were upset about the content of the article and the rules of the program. By late afternoon, the powers posted a statement saying that due to employee feedback, they would review the program and keep the employees up-to-date on the status.

Tuesday Night

After work, I walked to my car with a spring in my step as I high-five’d a few surprised fellow-employees and called ahead to my husband to exclaim that I had just finished an interesting workday. I was delighted by the fact that employees had voiced their concern and management was listening. Our humble intranet had proved itself as a valuable two-way communication tool. The discussion forum and engaged user community was proof that our user base was ready for more community-based intranet tools. This would pave the way for newer and more exciting social software.

Wednesday Morning

I arrived at work and noticed that there was some new Talk with Rob postings about the article. I had naively expected to see no more postings on the subject. Management had pulled the program for now. Everything that needed to be said was said (on both sides of the argument). Right?
Wrong. The postings continued. They also began to be more intense. It felt like I was witnessing a Junior High cafeteria food fight. Some were slinging mashed potatoes. Others were throwing last week’s mac and cheese. The rest of us were watching in amazement. And everyone was wondering when the principal would step in and demand an end to it. Nonetheless, someone was going to have to cleanup the mess.

That which was delightful yesterday was disgusting today. Today’s postings were more about pettiness than usefulness.

Wednesday Afternoon

Finally late afternoon, our number 2 boss (recall that I have 3 bosses) stopped by to inquire what it would take to prevent further postings. He explained that Rob was currently traveling and was not available to answer the assorted inquiries (a convenient ending to the mess). The plan was that Catbert would post a final answer to the assorted crazed postings. The planned follow up was to replace the electronic communication forum with a few face-to-face forums. I guess a few silly brownbags will fix everything.

Wednesday Night

So here I sit telling my story of delight, disgust and disappointment. What can we learn from this story? Plenty. Before we analyze this further, let’s conclude with this simple fact: If enough rope is provided, one will eventually get hung.

More Information

–Here are a few interesting postings from Tuesday–

From anonymous
Hi Rob, I have a question about the referral bonus posted today, specifically for people to refer their friends of color. I am personally of color, however it is a light color. White to be specific. As the other question was asked, what shade of color is okay to refer for the $5000 bonus? Thanks

From anonymous
I also find this program offensive. An equally qualified candidate is worth 10 times less if they are not “of color”?

From Pat

The only good thing to come of this is to witness the tremendous response from employees. I am proud to be one of the people ashamed and embarassed by the recent hiring bonus offered if you refer someone “of color.” I am so sorry to see a narrow-minded handling of such an important, sensitive issue. We should be commended for recognizing the imbalance in our management and for wanting to do something about it. On the other hand, we should apologize for the way the article was written, and the fact that no one thought through to the inevitable repercussions it would bring. We are not “casting a wider net” or “expanding our pool of qualified candidates.” In fact, we are doing just the opposite. We are limiting our search to “people of color.” I will be watching closely to see how this progresses, because in my mind our company has acted irresponsibly and unforgiveably, even if the intent was honorable.

–A few postings from Wednesday–

From anonymous
I have been upset and Offended by the VENOMOUS tone of multiple emails on the diversity issue. Even after Rob responded - postings continued. Anonymous postings, openly criticizing executives/hr/diversity counsel members - calling for their heads (no worse - their jobs)! What company is this??? . . .

From anonymous
After reading the last post about how VENEMOUS we all are, I felt compelled to post. Dear VENOMOUS: It’s a fact that if people can’t post anonymously, they won’t post at all, especially about such a charged issue as this. Nobody wants the personal and professional reprocussions involved with being called a racist, and there are plenty of professional offense-takers out there that would be happy to level the charge against others, true or not. Would you prefer that everybody just bury their heads in the sand? . . .

From not anonymous
Holy Cow!! Stop the madness!! Management has provided this forum to address concerns, not to be tarred and feathered! Management has gotten the message. They are doing something about it. Let’s get back to work!

From anonymous
I feel that we have the right to express ourselves so “stop the madness” shouldnt even come into play. To offer 5,000 dollars to recruit someone of color and not the same for a “white person” is very racist and should be taken very seriously. This should of never been posted. The “madness” would never of started if something like this wasnt posted. Wow, I am floored

You accused everybody else of hiding under a “cloak of anonymity”, but I noticed you didn’t put your name to your statement. Can you say hipocracy?

Quality communications in sickness and in health

janet — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:05:40 +0000

Fellow blogger, co-worker, and usability enthusiast Andy Gee has a blog category labeled “Personal” on his GeeWhiz blog (http://geewhiz.wordpress.com). GeeWhiz is a blog devoted to the pursuit of quality communications. In recent days, my ambitious, friend has used his Personal category to describe what he calls a “brain attack“. To be more precise, his brain attack was a stroke.

Andy’s personal category was rarely used until now. Now it is a place for his fans to go to get information about Andy’s recovery. True to form, Andy has maintained his commitment to quality communication. His entries are clear, concise, and presented in an interesting manner (which makes me wonder why he can do such a great job at communicating when in recovery mode, while the rest of us struggle with written communication when in perfect health).

My favorite update from Andy describes his contribution to “An Evening in December” the Saturday following his stroke. His words reminded me that not only does Andy embrace quality in his communications, but quality in his life.

My thoughts are with Andy and his family during this time.

(And by the way, I just heard a rumor that Andy is currently eating lunch in our company Cafe. How wonderful that he is recovering so nicely.)

An Intranet CEO Discussion Board

janet — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 22:07:39 +0000

A month ago, my company released a new Intranet feature titled Talk with Rob. It is a discussion board where employees can submit questions or comments to our CEO. I find the concept interesting. I am impressed with the attempt to give employees an opportunity to communicate with The Main Man. I am also impressed with his quick and thorough responses in spite of the large number of postings. He recently attended a meeting where he introduced himself as “The guy who answers the Talk with Rob questions”.

I am unimpressed (and embarrassed) at some of the questions asked by employees. There are an amazing amount of “What’s in it for me” questions. In fact, about 48% of the questions had a whining tone to them. Here are some examples of what I mean.

From an employee named Jeremy
Although the Sees candy [that comes with our Christmas Bonus] and cake days are wonderful, we diabetics are left-out of the rewards. On my team alone we have 3 diabetics. Are there plans to include diabetic options for us in the future?

From an Anonymous Employee
I was wondering if there was anyway(for the late people)if there could be designated parking for us that would be closer to the doors in the front and back? We we leave at night the parking lot is very dark, and there is no one out there, it’s kind of dangerous . . .

And of course, there is the question that has been asked and answered at least a dozen times in my 7 years of employment about why we don’t have daycare.

From an Anonymous Employee

Our company offers anything an employee could want, except an onsite daycare. Any chances of this ever happening?

There were also an amazing amount of inappropriate questions asked that are easily answered elsewhere. For example, there was a posting that said “When will be get our bonus check?”. And another 2 similar silly questions about what he planned to with some old furniture.
Here are some statistics I have gathered.

Total Postings: 58

Postings relating to “What’s in it for me”: 48%

Postings from employees who posted anonymously: 65%

Inappropriate questions: 43%