Questions tagged [physical]
For questions involving physical interfaces and interactions with "real world" objects.
42
questions
495
votes
23
answers
46k
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Why do people clear the screen multiple times when using a calculator?
I've noticed that most people when using a real or a virtual calculator, they hit the Clear button multiple times when clearing the screen (even though hitting it once is enough), so I started ...
- 5,787
139
votes
19
answers
151k
views
Which way should be "on" for a switch?
Most of us use switches every day in various forms. And although there are sometimes general norms in countries as to which direction is "on", there is variation between countries.
So when ...
- 68.3k
135
votes
6
answers
53k
views
Why do numpads on keyboards and phones have reversed layouts?
I came across this on the web. It's supposed to be funny, but we all know better :)
So, why are the numpad layouts different, and what are the reasons behind each?
- 31.1k
241
votes
15
answers
57k
views
Why do most public toilet doors open inwards?
The design of most public restrooms greatly caters for the ability to wash hands after the use of the toilette, providing facilities like sinks - sometimes with touchless faucets - soap dispensers, ...
- 4,269
69
votes
7
answers
21k
views
Why don't ATMs give you cash before your card?
I live in Australia, so this might not apply worldwide, but here, when withdrawing money, the ATM will give me back my bank card, then several seconds later the cash comes out.
This typically leads ...
- 801
106
votes
9
answers
23k
views
What reason could Nintendo have had for putting the A and B buttons in a non-alphabetical order?
When Nintendo brought out its first game system, the NES, it had a controller with four buttons:
Select
Start
A
B
However, somewhere, a designer, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the A and B ...
- 3,014
56
votes
14
answers
9k
views
Why do Microwave oven UIs fail?
I’m not a professional chef, but I do know my way around the kitchen and its machines. The dishwasher, the fridge, the freezer, the stove and the oven all works as expected in many homes. Could you ...
- 54.9k
47
votes
9
answers
28k
views
Why don't sandwich toasters have an on/off switch?
The absolute majority of electrical appliances have an On/Off switch. However, the absolute majority of sandwich toasters do not - you just plug them into the socket and unplug them when you're done. ...
- 31.1k
28
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Keyboard number row ordering
On a typical keyboard, why is the 0 in the number row next to the 9 instead of the 1?
This seems like a question which should have a straight-forward answer, but the only one I could find is this ...
- 610
14
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Elevator dispatch algorithm choice
We have a single elevator servicing an 8 level residential building. What might be the optimal elevator positioning algorithm to optimize user experience (primarily, wait time)?
I was thinking ...
- 809
12
votes
2
answers
13k
views
Why do stove dials rotate from "max to min" instead of "min to max"?
Unlike microwaves, on every stove-top/oven I've used, a dial that controls the stove elements can be turned backward to click to the maximum setting, while the dial that controls the oven temperature, ...
- 441
9
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Why is a manual transmission so complicated? [closed]
While driving I noticed that the gearbox is complicated for a first time users. I find it hard to tell which gear my car is in while driving.
Is there a reason for this design, and is there a better ...
- 1,830
5
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Shower Controls
Having recently stayed in a hotel where the shower controls required the user to first pour cold water over themselves before it was possible to turn the control to the warm position:
I wondered ...
- 11.2k
2
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Method for usability testing of physical products
I am looking for a methodology for interaction testing of a physical product / interface.
I am thinking something like expert testing (Heuristics) but just not for digital interfaces. Are there any ...
- 23
263
votes
16
answers
57k
views
Why do washing machines have windows?
I'm curious why every front-loaded washing machine I've seen so far comes with a window, while other household machines, like dishwashers, don't.
From a design or UI/UX perspective, why would one ...
- 2,488
115
votes
20
answers
24k
views
Toilet flush buttons
This question has been bugging me ever since I've started learning usability.
I am talking about the two buttons for the flush : Full and half container.
On one hand, the button shape has to ...
- 1,381
108
votes
13
answers
29k
views
Why do showers have "hot" and "cold" knobs rather than "temperature" and "quantity" knobs?
I do not understand the advantage of the popular "hot" and "cold" controls in showers, as opposed to "temperature" and "quantity" controls.
Is it simply because the latter option is harder to ...
- 2,787
86
votes
9
answers
17k
views
Why is the "Record" icon always round and usually red?
I've been wondering why the symbol for 'record' is universally (AFAIK - has anyone seen exceptions?) a circle and usually red. Cameras, VCRs, voice recorders, smartphones, web apps... I've seen cases ...
- 1,985
75
votes
12
answers
14k
views
Do signs printed on the road offer a significant advantage for the user over signs on a post?
I was driving earlier today and I came across a stretch of road that didn't have signs for the speed limit but instead had it written on the road like so:
Image source
It got me thinking that it ...
- 3,032
64
votes
3
answers
29k
views
Why are aluminium soda cans typically round instead of square?
Why are beverage cans usually round? Considering the amount that are made, and the need to be transported - isn't a round design inefficient? (ie the lost space from not tightly fitting together).
...
- 6,547
52
votes
12
answers
17k
views
Why don't most elevator panels let you unselect?
We've all seen it in the movies where a kid will push all the buttons in an elevator. We've all likely done it - accidentally hit the wrong floor.
There's no unselect after you select a floor in an ...
- 1,241
50
votes
6
answers
8k
views
Why are messages on the road printed in reverse?
After reading this question, something occurred to me that I've always wondered - but never thought to ask.
Why are road messages/signs printed in reverse?
(source https://xkcd.com/781/)
Anytime I ...
- 594
49
votes
7
answers
12k
views
Why do ATMs need to take your card in?
In every ATM I've seen, the card is "swallowed" by the machine, and returned at one point or another (or not, if you type the wrong PIN 3 times or whatever). This leads to people forgetting the card, ...
- 737
45
votes
3
answers
17k
views
How do blind people know where to find Braille signs?
On many occasions I have seen signs, with the equivalent in Braille underneath the text. Which is great. But what baffles me is this: how do blind people know where to find the Braille text?
I don't ...
28
votes
10
answers
4k
views
Traffic lights: "yellow" is progress, not state
When thinking about how (real-world) traffic lights work, I wonder if there is a more intuitive way to display the yellow light. The meaning of Green and Red are states:
Green: Ok, you can go!
Red: ...
- 2,284
22
votes
3
answers
7k
views
What was the reason behind total transition towards wide screen displays by the manufacturers?
I often hear complaints by users who are not satisfied by the wide-screen monitors and prefer traditional screen ratios of 4:3 and 5:4. Unfortunately, such monitors now are quite rare and the laptops ...
- 329
19
votes
5
answers
987
views
Which placement of list of ingredients is most convenient for the cook?
In the process of doing the layout for a cookbook, I'm faced with the problem of placing the list of ingredients for each recipe. I've looked at several cookbooks and seen numerous approaches. I can ...
- 293
13
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Why do keyboard keys have (most) letters in top left corner?
I was just looking at my keyboard (Logitech K200) for the millionth time and realized that the names of each key were "mostly" in the top left. The row of numbers at the top is just left aligned with ...
- 233
11
votes
2
answers
741
views
Is duping the consumer really a good business practice?
I have had this at the back of my mind for sometime and I believe UX is the proper place to post this though I may not phrase the question right so please chime in if you have suggestions!
There are ...
- 749
10
votes
5
answers
11k
views
Why do electric fan knobs often place the highest setting right after the off position?
Electric fans are often controlled by a knob which the user turns to power the fan on or off, and control the fan's speed.
On a lot of fans, the knob goes immediately from the off position to the ...
- 239
10
votes
5
answers
30k
views
Why most of the microphones are placed on the left of headsets / headphones?
I've noticed that the mayority of the well-known brands (Sennheiser, Logitech, Plantronics, Razer, SteelSeries, Audio-Technica, Phillips, etc) tend to make headsets with the microphone on the left, is ...
- 10.5k
10
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Traffic light, no more shapes?
I remember when I was a kid. Each traffic lights had different shapes. Red = Square, Yellow = Triangle, Green = Circle. Now all the traffic lights that I see are round.
Is there a reason why they don'...
- 433
9
votes
7
answers
18k
views
Why are soft drink bottles round, and milk cartons square?
EDIT: The coke bottle I am referring to in the question is 1.25L.
Why are soft drink bottles round, but milk cartons square?
The milk carton is more utilitarian, being more space efficient, and ...
- 3,532
9
votes
6
answers
4k
views
How could petrol forecourts be designed to improve efficiency?
I am always shocked when I go to a petrol station. The layout- in the UK, at least- seems to be fairly standard. But it always seems to me to be incredibly inefficient.
These are the issues:
When ...
- 3,014
8
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Why do washing machines have so many modes of operation?
Every single modern washing machine has a significant number of functions, e.g. this machine from LG:
There are 13 modes, 5 spin settings, 5 temperature settings, 4 extra functions, a Start button, ...
- 302
8
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What are the benefits of non-QWERTY keyboards?
I'm stuck with QWERTY, but have been tempted to try Dvorak. Dvorak advocates claim it's faster.
Are there any studies that compare these two (main) keyboard layouts? Are there other layouts out there ...
- 1,759
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Keyboard shortcuts on non-QWERTY keyboard layouts
I've been using the Dvorak keyboard layout for a few years, and something that's always bothered me is keyboard shortcuts. On a QWERTY keyboard copy and paste are conveniently positioned as Ctrl+C and ...
- 183
7
votes
1
answer
517
views
Putting names on international business cards in a helpful way
With electronic transmission of contact infos (h/x/j/vCard, CardDAV, EAS etc.) it should be possible to store unambiguously the various parts of a person’s name and title as well as their gender and ...
- 2,508
4
votes
4
answers
676
views
Why is there a contradiction between red in software and in workshop hardware?
If we often use red in software to warn someone to think before interacting with something, like a delete button for example, why do serious power tools like circular bench saws have big red buttons ...
- 7,818
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
UX to consider on a business card design
On a UX stance, what are the best practices to consider when designing a business card?
I've done some research in order to find some that I might not have considered and I have to admit that I've ...
- 1,064
4
votes
5
answers
339
views
Would a 'Processing' indicator on pedestrian crossing controls be helpful - and if so how would it be designed?
Pedestrian Crossings used to be simple things where you pressed a button and light went on saying 'wait' and then you waited until the red man turned to a green man.
However, modern crossings in the ...
- 11.2k
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why are USB ports in laptops so close to each other?
A few months ago I wanted a new laptop, so I ordered it from a big brand considering its solid features (like Intel Core i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM etc.). The laptop is perfect and runs well, but it ...
- 41