What elderly crossing guards can teach us about usability
If you use a computer as much as we do, you see countless warning messages everyday. Error loading data on page, unable to connect to X wireless network, low battery, etc. Well we just experienced a new warning message today that pretty much took the cake. Here at 45royale, we use Freeconference.com whenever we need to setup a quick call with 4 or more participants. The website is very easy to use and it only takes a couple minutes to setup a conference bridge. Plus, the best part about it is it’s FREE! All that they ask is that if you schedule a call, and there is a conflict that prevents anyone from joining, you login and cancel the reservation.
Well last Friday we set up a call for 2pm that we ended up having to reschedule, and Adam forgot to cancel the reservation (rebelling against the “system” comes with being bald I think). Adam of course, didn’t think anything of it, and went to log in today to schedule another call and was presented with this warning:
Now the warning message is just telling you to remember to cancel your reservations if you’re not going to use them. But the way this warning is delivered sets it apart from your typical (and largely ignored) warning message. I mean, look at the elderly guy in his construction worker/crossing guard outfit. How can you not heed this warning? By having the smiling old guy tell you that you screwed up and broke the rules, you actually feel bad. Like, “I’m sorry Grandpa, I didn’t mean to forget to cancel my reservations thereby causing you to work as a crossing guard when you should be living in Boca del Vista by now.”
Lesson of the day: If you present your warning message in a way that is entertaining or provokes an emotional response from the user, they’re probably more likely to comply and recall that message/process in the future. Also, using elderly folks to invoke guilt works too.
If you use a computer as much as we do, you see countless warning messages everyday. Error loading data on page, unable to connect to X wireless network, low battery, etc. Well we just experienced a new warning message today that pretty much took the cake.
This is really great. I love friendly stuff like this. But what do you do when your client takes themselves too seriously? I’ve always tried to be user-friendly and add a little style and humor where I see fit and usually end up with the client asking “What is this? I don’t like it. Get rid of it.” Well, they sign the checks, so I say “OK” and put it back to good old generic not very helpful or friendly “Please adjust your search results” or whatever the case may be.
Really, what do you say to clients who don’t seem to care about their users? I work in the consulting business, we’re paid to consult our clients. Too often, they just tell us how it should be and we submit because they’re paying us. How do you say to a client “look, you paid us to advise you, not to let you continue your cycle of bad ideas. let us do our jobs.”?
Cool way to solve the problem. Thanks for the hint!
@Joe
It is difficult to determine whether or not to raise a concern when a client is requesting you add or remove a feature that could negatively impact their users. You have to pick your battles carefully when deciding where to stand your ground because, as you mentioned, the client signs the check.
Before you say anything to the client, you first need to determine the impact their request will have on the core user base. If the request will cause problems for only a small portion of their users, I would raise the concern, but not push too hard if the client disagrees. However, if the request negatively impacts their core users, I would raise the concern and try to stand as firm as possible on the issue.
The client is paying you for expertise, and you owe it to them to try and prevent them from making a bad decision. You have to make them see that you are standing firm because you care about their business and want to see it succeed. Provided you can tactfully make your case, your client will respect your point of view, even if they decide not to heed your advice.