October 13, 2011
Look, recycling is great, but I hate recycling bins like this at food courts. I stand there stupidly trying to determine materials make-up of my food containers and implements (“Does a napkin go into paper recycling? Or, because it wiped my face, is it food garbage?”), usually until some food court employee takes pity on me and pulls it from my hands. Lest you think me strange, you can often see from garbage build-up on top that people don’t know what to do. People are not materials scientists, but more than that, recycling bins are not standardized, meaning you have to read all descriptions before taking an action. Instead, coordinate packaging with vendors. Color- and shape-code all containers, napkins, and plasticware (or affix stickers), and let people do simple color or shape matching.

Look, recycling is great, but I hate recycling bins like this at food courts. I stand there stupidly trying to determine materials make-up of my food containers and implements (“Does a napkin go into paper recycling? Or, because it wiped my face, is it food garbage?”), usually until some food court employee takes pity on me and pulls it from my hands.

Lest you think me strange, you can often see from garbage build-up on top that people don’t know what to do. People are not materials scientists, but more than that, recycling bins are not standardized, meaning you have to read all descriptions before taking an action.

Instead, coordinate packaging with vendors. Color- and shape-code all containers, napkins, and plasticware (or affix stickers), and let people do simple color or shape matching.

September 27, 2011
In an elevator, people often start to get out on the wrong floor. Why? Someone pushed the button on the other side, but the UI in the elevator doesn’t update. It misleads the passengers expectations by omitting some of the floors where the elevator will stop. Instead, update the buttons inside when a floor is going to be accessed, perhaps in a different color when no one inside pushed the button?

In an elevator, people often start to get out on the wrong floor. Why? Someone pushed the button on the other side, but the UI in the elevator doesn’t update. It misleads the passengers expectations by omitting some of the floors where the elevator will stop.

Instead, update the buttons inside when a floor is going to be accessed, perhaps in a different color when no one inside pushed the button?

March 31, 2011
A friend of mine was playing at the Roxy in Vancouver. He got tickets which were priced at $7. See? Tickets are $7 before the event, and $10 for tickets at the door. Only they weren’t… This was only a discount for admission, which you still had to buy at the door. The name for that is called a COUPON. A coupon which should have said “$3 off admission”. Calling it a ticket caused my friend much embarrassment, as he had to refund people for the “tickets” they bought… which weren’t.

A friend of mine was playing at the Roxy in Vancouver. He got tickets which were priced at $7. See? Tickets are $7 before the event, and $10 for tickets at the door.

Only they weren’t…

This was only a discount for admission, which you still had to buy at the door. The name for that is called a COUPON. A coupon which should have said “$3 off admission”.

Calling it a ticket caused my friend much embarrassment, as he had to refund people for the “tickets” they bought… which weren’t.