21 Apr 2005

Don't step into an hospital!

Frightening article about usability problems in hospitals:
The study identified twenty-two ways in which the system caused patients to get the wrong medicine. Most of these issues are usability problems.
Cars are dangerous too ;)
The most striking example of how bad design can kill comes from in-car user interfaces: thousands of deaths per year are related to drivers being distracted by overly complex designs.
About usablity problems, I spoted two I didn't know:
  • Memory Overload - The well-known limits on human short-term memory make it impossible to remember everything across that many screens.
  • Overly Complicated Workflow - In general, whenever you see users resorting to sticky notes or other paper-based workarounds, you know you have a failed UI.

3 comments:

Thomas Nicholls said...

I would take that man's words with a grain of salt, he is afterall Danish ;)

Benjamin Francisoud said...

At last we found ONE famous danish! (except Aqua and dandryer)

Thomas Nicholls said...

Check this mon gaillard: http://www.dina.kvl.dk/~abraham/fame.html