Exercise Four - Jeannie

I LOVE my Body Mist from the Body Shop. The size of this small bottle alludes to its affordances. For example, the position of the pump is high and narrow enough to indicate that we use one finger to use it. The fact that the exiting hole is in one direction allows us to know which direction the mist is spraying. The last tier of the pump is textured and round, indicating a gripped turning action is needed to open it.

The mapping is clear and simple: the concave slope of the tip suggests that it is a downwards pressing action that is needed. A softer press delivers a milder spritz. The size of the pump is a physical constraint as it limits the flow of the spray. Similarly, the narrow tube inside constrains the amount of liquid used.

The spraying action gives audio and visual feedback: you are able to see and hear the mist.

I HATE my IKEA Compact Clock. Although the design is simple and its compatibility is a nice idea, there are many design flaws.

In terms of affordances, they aren’t bad as it’s clear that the cover can fold back to become a support stand and so on. However, there is no indication anywhere of the time being either A.M or P.M. There is no feedback when you hit a number to show that it has passed.

It is the alarm feature poses the most problems. The dial to change the time has an arrow that points counter-clockwise: most people are used to clock-hands moving clockwise, so there is confusion in the orientation of the mapping. The Off/On button on the back is unclear as to whether it’s to be used on the clock itself or just the alarm.

There is great difficulty setting the time for the alarm. An hour is divided into five points, which result in unusual positions for exact times therefore it’s almost impossible to set the alarm with precision: it will always be within a “general range.” There is also a negative constraint as there is no “snooze” button: the alarm is either on or off.