Back when the rotary telephone was the bleeding edge technology, say in 1890’s or so, it probably wasn’t unusual to say things like “put your finger in that hole, rotate to the right all the way, and repeat…” Then it probably evolved to something like “Dial these numbers.” Now we just say “Call me.”
Tag Archives: Usability
What Users Say vs. What They Really Mean
In the course of my career I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended numerous usability test sessions. I had chances to observe many varieties from the most entertaining to the gawdawful boring, a fifty-something man operating a mouse with both of his hands to a tech-savvy who checks the view source.
Instructions vs. Usability.
There are things we do without thinking. For one, flushing the toilet. People usually don’t expect specific instructions before carrying out this relatively simple task.