[Sigia-l] IA Beyond the Web

[Dave Collins]

>It's fun to look for IA in unusual places.  There is an IA issue
mentioned below with automobiles - one that has been addressed in part
by manufacturers. (But the contributor to this web page doesn't seem
to realize that yet.) How many of us know?

>http://baddesigns.com/gascap.html


Just because I feel like stretching my IA muscle - my 2c on the gas cap
thing:


The suggestion to standardize location is ideal from a user point of view,
but unlikely to happen. There are likely larger issues governing placement
of gas cap.

(Actually, it occurs to me that it is *not* the ideal solution. It would
force all drivers to pull up on the same side of the pump, causing
congestion. I'll bet that's why manufacturers use both sides. A
comprehensive solution would have to involve traffic flow redesign of the
gas stations themselves.)

A more expedient improvement: just place a little car symbol on the dash
showing which side the gas cap is on. Ideally, the symbol would be right on
the face of the gas gauge. The user would not even be conscious of knowing
this bit of info, and it would be available just when they need it. Best of
all, it's a very cheap fix, more likely to be adopted by auto manufacturers.

Dave