28. The bottom line:
Nissan introduced a new feature.
One that I absolutely loved once I got used to.
But it ignored my existing habits and behavior.
And my first experience was one of a total frustration.
29. How could they
have done it better?
And how you can avoid doing these
mistakes in your own products.
30. 1. Create a consistent
visual language.
And use color coding to indicate
functional coupling
Suggested graphics on the back
of the remote keys.
31. 2. Use further cues to
enforce certain associations.
If the key made a short vibration or beep
in my pocket when I opened the door or
turned on the car, I would have instantly
created a mental association between the
key location and what I just did.
32. 3. Understand and respect
the user’s existing habits.
Habits create strong mental models,
and shape our decisions.
Rather than breaking the user’s habits,
help her transition to the new ones.
33. 4. Prototype new features
and observe how new and
existing users use them.
If your product targets a wide range of
demographics, make sure you test
enough segments.
34. 5. If it the user’s fault, then
it’s probably your fault.
Never let a user feel bad about himself.
Instead, make them feel that they are
much smarter than they thought.
35. 6. Don’t do this!
Forget manuals and documentations.
No one has time for them.
Instead, make your design self explanatory.
36. This incident reminded me of an old joke
about a guy who bought a private jet and
instructional CDs on how to fly.
Listening to his audio guide, he started
operating the jet and was thrilled that
he could take it off the ground.
In mid-air, his audio CDs concluded with
a message informing him that landing
instructions were sold separately.
37. Ready for more design stories?
Join the design thinking conversation at
the upcoming design thinking webinar
Amir Khella
User Experience Guru
amir@fictiv.com