IH01-KatherineTong
From IEOR 170 Spring 2007
== Good Designs and Bad Designs in Our Everyday Life ==
Good design: Plastic Embosser (DYMO Organizer Xpress)
The Organizer Xpress is a plastic embosser created by DYMO. It allows users to create labels on a plastic sticker, which users can label their personal items with.
Fig.1 (a) Plastic Embosser (Organizer Xpress)
Fig.1 (b) Top view of Organize XPress
There are two main features to this device: 1) the gray knob with a list of symbols printed on it and 2) the gray handle. Both devices have very clear mappings and affordances, and allow users to easily learn how to use the Organizer Xpress.
To find the desired symbol, one needs to turn the knob until the desired symbol is placed between two brackets. To select the symbol, one simply needs to squeeze the handle. When the label has been created. There is a scissor symbol that indicates the label needs to be cut off and removed from the embosser.
Fig.2 Simple designs lead to clear understanding of usage.
Bad Design: Lysol Sanitizing Wipes
Lysol Sanitizing Wipes are soapy clothes used to clean household items. The clothes are all linked together and separated by perforated lines. The perforated lines are supposed to make separating each cloth easy, modeling a paper towel roll. However, pulling out one cloth at a time is quite difficult.
In order to tear off one sanitizing wipe, the user needs to “pull wipe forward at an angle,” but there is no obvious indication letting the user know this. Rather, these directions are written very small on the lip of the container, where no user would think of looking. As a result, the user pulls out two or three wipes and then needs to separate them one-by-one by hand.
Fig.3 Lack of visible directions
To create a more user-friendly container, Lysol should separate each wipe before packaging them. This will remove the problem of pulling out too many wipes at a time. Also, when the user pulls out a wipe, another wipe should appear from the dispenser. This would be very similar to Kleenex’s tissue box dispensing design.
Fig.4 Solution to poor design of Lysol Sanitation Wipes dispenser.
