This may be evidence of the difficulty of getting things done within some institutional settings. Someone was willing to create rather high quality signage for what amounts to a simple wiring mixup. Either they don't know it can be easily fixed or they've had one too many run-ins with the facilities manager.
Gas Pumps Are So Silly
This pump is a great example of users retrofitting equipment to their needs (also just poor design in the first place). To do: investigate the process convenience store owners go through to shop for and procure gas pumps. Knowing this would help me understand how this kind of thing can happen.
EDIT (Sept. 10, 2012): I was told that the gas company supplies them. I wonder how much variation exists across particular brands. BP seems to be very consistent and usually provides the smoothest interaction. END EDIT
The "Regular | Special | Super +" sign at the bottom does little aside from telling people what you can get out of this pump. Where do you think you push to actually select your grade of fuel? No, it's not the yellow sticker that says "PUSH TO START". It's the much less prominent colored areas above. It looks like any of these areas are programmable, but someone made the decision to only allow interaction with one of the potential choices (and they chose the less obvious one).
The screen the walks you through each step is divorced from the keyboard necessary for user input, so much so that a sign is needed to tell users about it.
There are three separate signs regarding payment, in three separate corners, in three very different styles, two of which are potentially confusing. Confusing sign #1: "BANK DEBIT CARDS NOT ACCEPTED". Since most (I'm guessing all, but I should confirm) debit cards can be run as credit, this is not quite correct from their customer's perspective. Confusing sign #2: "PRE-PAY ONLY...". This one can only be appreciated by viewing the image. The overwhelming message is that this pump is pre-pay only. However, after more investigation... cart was placed before the horse.
Where are these flexibility constraints coming from that put the interaction design onus on the convenience store owners? I've rarely, if ever, seen a place that offers more or less than 3 grades of gasoline. There seems to be no explanation for the variation across pumps.
Safety and Humor
When can we be playful with the representation of safety? These illustrations are fun, but they are of serious subject matter. I'm reminded of Air New Zealand's in-flight safety video featuring flight attendants in body-painted uniforms. Engaging or distracting?
Usability Compromises
This iHome clock radio is a wealth of compromises that put fashion first. The one shown above is a dial that allows the user to move a device support mechanism back and forth. However, the dial itself goes side to side, breaking the natural mapping and requiring additional labeling. There are any number of reasons why this may have been done: symmetry, ease of production, likely position of the hand using the dial, laziness, etc. It would be great if product development teams could find a way to incorporate appropriateness alongside beauty.
Legacy Handmade Signs
DIY signage abounds at this convenience store slash greasy spoon. This one is left over from the bygone era before global satellite telecommunications.
Last Gasps of a Dying Market
Craigslist has left the newspaper classifieds to die in public on the backs of city buses.
Contextual Signage
The U-Haul signage, on the van itself and at the key drop, was much more friendly and helpful than the dealer. The dealer had a sign too, next to a couple of large birdcages warning people that "Both birds will bite."
E-Textbooks
We're still in that transition period where it's novelty rather than an expectation to purchase digital books. The longstanding criticism of the textbook publishing cycle is that new versions don't actually include new material, or enough to justify the new edition. I wonder if textbooks might simply be 'updated' in the future rather than published over and over again in total.
Mobile Devices to Enhance Customer Service
The service experience at food counters could be greatly improved by the use of mobile devices for ordering, especially when the menu consists of a simple decision tree. Instead of fighting human nature, capitalize on it.
Non-Editable Transactions
So many payment systems needlessly lack the ability to edit transactions quickly and easily. This adds unnecessary cognitive load on both customers and staff.
Employees Must Wash Hands
Apparently, it isn't enough to remind staff before they leave the bathroom. The message is also crudely taped above the soap dispenser. What this says to customers: our employees are a little gross.
Pictures and Type, Together
Integration of icons with text to satisfy international audiences
Unnecessary Constraints
Why can't a gift receipt be easily printed for any transaction at any time? This is a missed opportunity for an enhanced touch point.
Payment Hardware Mod at the Post
Priority mail tape blocking credit card swiping. I wonder what policy led to this mod and requiring my card to be swiped for me behind the counter.
Infrastructural Evolution
"Insert coin, turn handle as far as possible after each coin."
... only there's no handle anymore. The legacies of retrofitting.
Symmetrical Messages
The one on the right was an afterthought but mirrors most of the message on the left.
Exposing Administrative Details
User Intervention
Commerce and Law Enforcement
