Often times I will be working in the library in between classes or in the evening, completing assignments on my computer. When I go to plug in my computer, each time, I run into a usability problem; some of the plug caps do not open, and I often open the wrong plug cap. There are many usability problems with this design.
The first usability aspect of these plugs is the idea of there being a constraint. The locked plug caps constrain the user from using certain outlets. While this type of constraint my be of annoyance to the user, it may be there for the user's own good. The constraint mentioned is a lock-out, not allowing the user to use certain plugs. Because some plugs may be broken or wired wrong, the janitors may have created this lock-out so students didn't make an error of trying to plug something in a bad socket.
Another principle in usability that can be examined with these plugs is the affordance of signifiers. Unfortunately, these outlets do not display signifiers of which one is a regular outlet and which is not. Often times, I make the error of opening the wrong outlet cap. Also, another error I make is trying to open a cap that is actually locked. There is no clear indication of whether the outlet cap is locked or not, lacking signifiers.
The location of the outlets are also a physical anthropometry problem, something Norman takes time to cover in The Design of Everyday Things. The outlets are placed directly in the middle of the table, making the user have to crawl on the floor to get access to the plug. Some handicap individuals would not be able to do this task. Instead of placing the outlets on the ground, they could be placed on the pillars next to the tables.
There are many usability problems with the outlets in the library. In the future design of the library, new outlet placement should be considered.
No comments:
Post a Comment