image found on technewsworld.com
As AI devices become more integrated into our digital
lifestyles today user frustration seems to build. When you look at reports
about many new types of gadgets coming to market it seems that the
manufacturers aren’t taking the time to give the devices to a regular person
and watch what they do with the device. See how they interact with it. Because
if they did they would soon realize it doesn’t matter if they unit has all the
bells and whistles it doesn’t mean anything if the unit can do some simple
requested tasks.
In a recent Wall Street Journal Article (“The Smartest Ways
to Use Your Smartphone in the Car”, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-smartest-ways-to-use-your-smartphone-in-the-car-1486496177).
The writer looks at various options for AI devices in your car and one of the
things she brings up is how frustrating it is to have just some simple requests
done. The article is well written but the video speaks so many more volumes.
When you look at a regular person using an app in their vehicle while they are
driving and how frustrated they are at just requesting simple commands it shows
that the creators missed the train big time.
I can see why people will stop using apps or AI devices when
even simple commands for music, directions or even to make a note seem like a
huge earth shattering task for the device.
As software developers we are problem solvers. Life is
filled to tons of little things that speak huge volumes to us as designers and
developers. But, we seem to miss the big picture. That is the human factor. I
really wonder how many companies before releasing a device grab a regular
person and sit them down and just watch. See how they interact and what they do
or don’t. But most importantly what they say and how upset they get when even a
simple request requires multiple yelling and screaming sometimes and it still
doesn’t work.
As Mies said “God is in the details…” and this really shows
how some great apps and devices missed the mark when it might be easier to
still pull over if driving and manually put it in yourself instead of look like
a crazy person yelling into your phone because of the frustration you’ve
encountered from a naughty design.
Mirko Cukich 3.25.2017
