Archive for category Usability

Too much security is a pain in the user experience

Posted by Kshipra in Design, Interaction Design, Usability, Web on September 2nd, 2010

Had to help Dad reactivate his online trading account with PIPIP bank….boy oh boy…first we had received an activation process by snail mail. The instructions were not clear on how to reactivate, there was only activation info. Used the password in that reactivation process and logged in…it worked…grrrrr…
Then had to fill in rest of the info provided in the activation sheet…again there was no mention whether it was activation or reactivation.
On submission there was a link to login again without logging me out..how did that happen?
After I logged in….again there was no info whether my reactivation was successful or not!
Seriously who build such interfaces which is not humanized and keep you anxious throughout the process.
And don’t even get me started on the multi Browser compatibility…Come on this is 2010 :-(
Talk about virtual keyboard..yeah they are secure but Imagine i strained my eyes to get a look at the keys….imagine my Dad would have to Zoom-in and click on them :-(
Phew….I just logged in after an hour later to check and found the profile active.
Even after all this frustration if they hadn’t activated the account…I would have just closed that account for Dad :-P

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my Bus ride on the 500K volvo

Posted by Kshipra in Usability on November 17th, 2008

I believe i have the average height of an average Indian female. Now, standing inside a bus, can be pretty painful if your hand just reaches when you need to hold and you got to painfully stretch your hand and stand!

I shifted from my 2-wheeler to opt for the comfy ride of the Volvo from work to home, (also due to stress & hyper-tension caused by the honkers and the undisciplined traffic!) but Bravo! to the traffic cops and volunteers, they are doing  us a big favor by managing the ever-growing mammoth traffic in Bangalore.

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my antics at the XYi atm

Posted by Kshipra in Interaction Design, Usability on November 17th, 2008

Do you get nervous standing being a first timer at a different bank’s ATM thinking about how the interface will be like (hoping the same as your old bank’s ATM interface) & how you would take out the cash with ease and take pride that you would have taken the least time inside the ATM than any of the members of the queue?

OK…i’m in, now what? i swipe the card, then i look at the monitor….stare to figure where to ‘touch’…i realize unlike  PIPIP bank’s ATM there is no buttons alongside the monitor, should i press the numbers or should i touch the monitor?….yes it is the monitor…..boy, if they were recording me on the security cam, i’m sure they would have had a blast!! and i’m taking more time than usual!

People behind me might think what a ‘dork’ i am….keeping them waiting. The information architecture is similar so i have no problem navigating and then i do the needful of withdrawing the cash.
Now my dilemma is, am i out the system? (it is very clear in my previous bank’s ATM) what if i am not logged out? i can’t figure out from the screen because it is showing me something that i cant seem to comprehend …because i’m tensed about getting out there as fast as possible. Now i don’t want the next person behind me to come and withdraw all my cash right? so i press multiple buttons and leave!

Phew!!
what was that??
Did i just behave like that? or do people generally freak out every time they need to use a new system?

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