Home
>
Web Design
>
Usability Lessons from the Hospital

Usability Lessons from the Hospital

Usability isn't only for Web design. It's also applicable in the real world as things aren't always well-designed. Paying attention to real world design can help you think through usability for Web design. For instance, there is an elevator in New York where the numbers are in three columns. The numbers go across, but in this elevator they go from right to left instead of left to right. It's in English not Hebrew.

Elevator in NY:

10 9 8

7 6 5

Most elevators:

8 9 10

5 6 7

This concept can be applied to a Web page by assuring numbers, letters, and other meaningful groups of information are sorted in a logical order.

I also saw a school speed zone sign where it said to slow down during the following times:

7:30 AM - 8:15 AM

2:45 AM - 3:30 PM

Hmm... figure out what's wrong with this sign? This one can also teach a lesson for Web design usability. What lessons come to mind?

Donald Norman talks about such design in The Design of Everyday Things. While I was in the hospital twice in a little over a one week period, I discovered a few usability problems.

The room I was in last week had a small TV, the kind that hangs from the wall like those you see at the blood centers. It had no captions, but the law (Television Decoder Circuitry Act (TDCA)) only requires TVs 13 inches are captioned. NBC didn't work on that TV. Go figure... it was the only channel I could enjoy without captions because the olympics were on and sports are easy to follow.

The one good thing about that small room was the button to call the nurse. It didn't have a speaker, so no one would try speaking to me when I called. She would just come as soon as she could.

My first room for the second visit's adventures had a brand new flat screen TV. The only way to get the captions turned on was to fiddle with the options on the side of the screen. Could not do it from bed. Thankfully, tall Hubby was there to do it. Not everyone has the luxury of having someone there to do it or even with the know-how.

The TV remote control was on a remote with three buttons: call nurse, light on / off, and TV. I could only go one way in changing the channels. If on channel 5 and wanted to be on channel 4, I had to go through all the channels to get to channel 4.

The second room had the same TV and remote set up. Once again, tall Hubby had to turn on the captions. This time, when I called the nurse, she talked back through the speaker. We had to remind every shift and multiple nurses on that shift that I couldn't hear over the speaker.

Luckily, I had family with me to help talk to the nurse. But I was alone all morning and without my implant. So I could not even hear any sound coming from the speaker where I could say what I needed and hope they caught it. Thankfully, I had a nurse who came in often enough that I didn't need to call.

meryl k. evans is the Content Maven behind meryl k. evans, meryl k. evans. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..

In The News:

Fitness centers and workout studios are starting to establish policies that prohibit shooting phone videos to protect people's privacy.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents

Apple recently notified a small number of iPhone customers in 92 countries that their phones may be under attack by mercenary spyware.

An artificial intelligence-powered home security system can fire paintballs and tear gas at trespassers. The camera identifies human faces and animals.

Technology expert Kim Komando gives her tips and tricks on enhancing your user experience a smartphone and other devices you use everyday.

A new camera called NUCA uses artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos of subjects by stripping away clothing in close to real time.

The Kimberley Kube trail-ready camper has a compact but spacious design and combines luxury, functionality and ruggedness for a weekend getaway.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Emails instructing you to reset your password for an account may be legitimate, or they may be scams. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.

Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle aims to revolutionize undersea missions — it glides through the ocean without human assistance.

Learn how to work Google's calendar application to streamline and organize your daily tasks from technology expert Kim Komando.

If you do not want Facebook to have automatic access to your private photos, follow our tips to protect yourself. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson goes into detail about Apple’s recent iOS update that allows iPhone users to instantly translate spoken language simply by using the Action Button.

Safeguarding your digital life with a reliable physical backup isn't just a precaution, it's a necessity. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides the essential backup checklist.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how a Redditor exposed false recycling claims at their apartment, highlighting a report that only 21% of U.S. recyclables are processed.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers a travel toolkit featuring five technology tools to help you with booking flights and hotels for your summer vacation.

The bubble behind the clock on your iPhone can appear in different colors. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what each of those colors mean.

Scammers are using the power of artificial intelligence to mimic voices of people and are using the fake voices to commit crimes, like kidnappings.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the science behind the Invisibility Shield, a 6-foot shield that makes people become invisible.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.

Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.

The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.

The European Union has sent TikTok a "request for information" on the video sharing platform's newest app, TikTok Lite, under the Digital Services Act, with the aim to clean up social media.

Usability Lessons from the Hospital

Web Design