[Sigia-l] NYC Metrocard Vending Machines

[Christopher Fahey [askrom]]

> Especially on a system like the Metrocard Machines
> which will have millions of beginners.

For public transit card vending machines, if I had to choose between:
  A) Beginners take 5-10 minutes to figure it out, but once they learn
it takes them less than 30 seconds.
  B) Everyone takes 2 minute to use it regardless of how long they've
been using it.

I'd pick A. I think the MTA interface could be a lot better, but I agree
in general with the design practice of designing for users who will
learn to use and even master the system over time. Alan Cooper, as I
recall, made some very clear distinctions between designing for repeated
use and design for rare/occassional use. Purchasing MetroCards may be a
bit challenging for tourists and newly-minted New Yorkers, but the vast
majority of user sessions will be from experienced users who will have
established a routine.

This use of so-called "muscle memory" to complete an interaction becomes
the norm for most MetroCard purchases. Again, I'm not saying that the
design exploits this user model very well (it could still be
streamlined), but people do significantly adapt to the system over time.
I wonder what would happen if they decided one day to change the
interaction, for example switching the $20 and $15 buttons around.
Yikes!

-Cf

[christopher eli fahey]
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