In so many ways I feel used and abused as the role of the consumer, the user. I use things. I need to do things. I use technology and I continually get the highs and lows out of products and services.
I've been reliving my experience with the netgen teens and our work with microsoft. Climbing back into kids minds getting the foothold on what it means to be always on, to be a user, a consumer in the great technological divide we live in.
Its funny though, doing this kind of work, resonating on vibes of useful, usable and desireable and then experiencing some of the common daily fustrations along the way to really pin down the essence of it all so well.
Like going to the Dell website to order a battery and finding that search words like, battery, dell, inspiron, ion, you name it simply cant find my battery. Then trying multiple search navigation patterns, i could try from the root of dell, or try support and then search or maybe go business and search.
Continually failing to find what I need on a site so polished to make you feel like they got anything you need makes me hilariously sarcastic in the office. I start talking to the website. I talk to search engine. I say "lets try this... ok how about that.. wait a sec of course you dont want that.. lets try this.." I'm flirting with Dell search engine. A flawed bucktoothed flooz that cant find what I need but oh so eagar to please. I go round and round and the office tunes into my experience as if i'm todays crackle in user pain. Suggestions start coming in, "try this.. no that.." now im 20mins in on finding a batter and still no success. I could call the number, sure mr. 800 is there for me but then i gotta cram a phone in my shoulder tilt my head and work on another knot building exercising for my neck to develop. The web should get what I need.
But my god what a hilarious jumble of crap Dell has. My tone worsens, I get just little bit negative to tint my view of my experience. I document as I go.. "oh thats a great one.. gotta make more page designs like this.." all the while ive been fustrated on Dells site, I've got pricewatch up in another window. Its staring at me, laughing at my experience. In two clicks I got pricewatch listing just the battery i need. Simple user to web to get what i want interaction. Its right there, clarification, you want X here it is. Its almost too good to be true. Its a trick.
I hang out with Dell a bit longer until my boss comes in and laughs with me a bit. We decide to call Dell direct just so we can get a human throat clearing gulp on the line when we tell them that finding a battery on the website was laughable at best. We order our batteries. The deal is done.
What did I learn? Not much other than as long as fools like Dell continue to make horrible experiences out there, i'll be employeed for a long frickin time. I mean I thank Dell for its ability to completely fusturate me. That means bucks to Lextant, keeps food on the table. Dell isnt the only contributor to this phenomon. Its all over. Poor design. Gotta love it.
Course there will always be the counter point of you just didnt do X or that you need to RTFM but good technology, smart experiences just work thats how they succeed in the marketplace. Theres a level that is met for the user, a level of useful, usable and desireable.
