Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Inconsistent Man Machine Interface

MMI does not just mean CHI. It also applies to mechanical machines.

Of the three lifts in this building only one goes to the lowest level. The lift designers simply ordered the button in rows of three starting at the bottom and working up. That means those of us who get in and hit the button in "the usual position" have a one-in-three chance of being whisked to the wrong floor.





Majority lift    
Minority lift   
(there is no "2")
Minority lift
should have been

12
9 10 11
6 7 8
3 4 5

11 12
8 9 10
5 6 7
1 3 6

12
9 10 11
6 7 8
3 4 5
1

That is, the same as the others with "1" pre-pended.

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