I was going to put up a picture of a VCR or a microwave with a digital clock blinking “12:00” — the classic example of user interface failure.
But my microwave doesn’t blink “12:00”. It blinks “66:66”, or sometimes “6:66”, like it’s possessed by the devil. I think it has a short-circuited 6 key, so it’s processing nonexistent presses of the 6 key at random times. Sometimes it beeps loudly in the middle of the night. I keep it unplugged most of the time just to keep it quiet.
But anyway, the impossible-to-set digital clock is the classic example of user interface failure — and by “classic” I mean it was considered a hilarious punchline back in 1987: People were always saying “I’m so bad with technology, I can’t figure out how to get my VCR to stop blinking 12:00”. Ha ha ha. And what’s with airline food?
But the real problem was not that people in the 80s (or today) were “bad with technology”, it’s that VCRs (and microwaves) presented a terrible interface that made setting a digital clock far more difficult than setting an analog clock, and for no good reason!
And that’s why this blog is called “Not The User’s Fault”.
Not The User's Fault 
February 8, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Well said. Classic DOET.
To state it the other way: It’s the designers responsibility to make a system that is easy to use.
But what about the second Norman book, Emotional Design. Is it enough to be just easy to use and intuitive? What about systems that are enjoyable and dare-say lovable to use?
I’m a big fan, keep up the good work. 🙂
February 9, 2009 at 12:33 am
“I was going to put up a picture of a VCR or a microwave with a digital clock blinking ’12:00’…”
How you take a photograph of blinking?
February 9, 2009 at 2:54 am
So true, VCRs and to some extent car clocks are horrendous to set. My dad’s Civic requires you to have the radio on, otherwise it won’t let you set the clock. Took us ages to figure it out.
February 9, 2009 at 3:31 am
I liked old theme of your blog than the current one.
February 9, 2009 at 6:03 am
Can’t you just photoshop it to say 12:00?
February 10, 2009 at 4:02 am
I don’t like the dull colors but the shorter line length is great for reading.
February 10, 2009 at 8:06 pm
That microwave truly tells a tale of a failed interface.
February 10, 2009 at 9:28 pm
So your microwave features a keypad? Doh, mine only plus/minus and since in order to set up the clock, you have to touch both at once, it actually features multitouch. But don’t link my commment from outside, or Apple will sue me, right?