We’ve all had those projects where you work for months or years to develop and deliver a technical masterpiece, then cap it off with a flawless implementation, only to find that absolutely nobody notices. Not a peep from the users. The very next week you pop in a simple project or enhancement that took you all of 2 hours to develop and the users are patting you on the back and telling you you’re a genius.

Granted, that only lasts for about 5 minutes, but it tells you a lot about the role human interface design and “real world” utility plays in how users perceive systems and their IT department.

With that in mind, I’d like to recommend that CIO Magazine add a “People’s Interface Award” to their awards programs to recognize the value of systems designed with the end-user in mind. This award would not bother to consider the system’s impact to company profitability, degree of technical difficulty, or elegance of back-end design, but only the positive impact on those people who must use the tools, be they fellow employees or customers.  If this award seems frivolous to you, consider the value of delivering systems that improve user’s overall satisfaction (hence productivity) and their attitude about your department.

To illustrate the kinds of things I’m talking about, here are my 5 favorite “make-life-easier” technologies from the last few years and a few technologies that need a lot of improvement. Feel free to contribute your own favorites to the list.

ATM Machines: Not the whole machine, just that part of the machine that counts out and delivers the $20 bills. In twenty years of using ATM machines I have never once had one deliver an incorrect amount of money or jam during the delivery process. This is AMAZING! Copy machine manufacturers should take a look at this.

Digital Cameras: It’s so nice not to have to wait a week or more to find out my thumb was covering the lens.

Google Map: I love the fact that these maps are not only accurate, they’re presented in a useable, readable way. Which means, I don’t have to stop for directions. I hate doing that.

State of Texas Web Site: Virtually any business a person would need to conduct with the State of Texas or Travis County (the one I live in) can be conducted from home. Not just a time saver, it reduces the wear and tear on your self esteem .

Keyless Entry on My Truck: This is a little like providing your users with systems security without asking them to remember passwords, such as Biometric Security. I’ve had my new truck for only a few months, but I’ve had to use the keyless entry twice to retrieve my keys. I’ve got so many passwords floating around, I can’t remember them anymore. Passwordless entry would be a great help to me.

Technologies That Still Need a Lot of Work

Cell Phones: If 15 years ago you had told me that my cell phone service would not get any better over the next 15 years, I would never have believed it. My cell phone can take pictures, play music, change colors, but it still can’t provide a reliable connection.  What are these cell phone companies thinking about? Wouldn’t the first company that could provide ‘land line’ caliber reliability own the market?

Voice Recognition: While I recognize the enormous technical challenge here, companies that attempt to ‘employ’ this technology in place of employing human beings are giving those savings back in the form of poor customer relations. Companies need to wait until this technology actually works. Dew ewe no watt eye mean?  

Windows: Need I say more?

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