everythingUX

While at Kolh’s website recently, I noticed a feature that I thought was quite interesting, the ability to change the page contrast.

The kohls.com original version

I have see sites that allowed visitors to change the color scheme, but not specifically between high and low contrasts. The intention was probably to help those with visual impairments by allowing them to switch to a version of the website they can read more easily.

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My earlier post on the misleading (confusing) trash can I came across at a Starbucks needs to be updated.

Recycle Collection Can at PDX

On my way back after attending the UPA 2009 conference in Portland, I saw a similar recycle bin at the Portland PDX airport. I think I might have misunderstood the intended use of the complicated trash can at Starbucks. First of all, the one I saw at Starbucks should not have been used as a trash can because it is supposed to be used as a recycle bin. Second of all, in spite of how it appeared, the different slots on the cover are not to separate the items as they are collected. They are simply supposed to indicate what kinds of material are to be put into these bins for recycling.

My problem is no longer only with Starbucks for using the wrong bin to collect trash, they were clearly improvising for the lack of a regular trash can.

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I recently listened to a podcast by Jared Spool and Robert Hoekman, Jr. from the UIE Userability podcast series where they answer questions from others in the field. This series has been both entertaining and informative, much like other UIE podcasts.

The question posed to Jared and Robert Hoekman, Jr. in this particular podcast was “Why do so many bad designs exist 20 years after Donald Norman’s legendary book on design – Design of everyday things (DOET). It was a lively discussion that talked about, among others, how many badly designed doors (a main point of discussion in Don Norman’s book used to illustrate the principle of affordance) still exist today.

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I saw this trash can at Starbucks. Trying to be a responsible citizen, I spent a few seconds to evaluate where I was supposed to put my stirrer and sugar casing only to find that all the holes led to a single trash bag! Why even bother? Unless this top was supposed to go over a specially designed trash can with built-in compartments, there is no way to keep what goes into it separate.

This was next to the sugar/napkin station at the Starbucks, so where do  you get the glass and aluminum cans anyway? Newspaper- I can understand. This is clearly in the wrong place, confusing customers like me who try to care.

I asked my collegue who had his  iPhone handy to take a picture.