Sunday, August 12, 2007

proof: the power of the intuitive interface



Where: The Apple Store in Oakbrook, Illinois.

Scene: After two minutes talking to a guy wearing a black "genius" t-shirt, I find my 7-year old is rooted in place in front of a display.



Me: "Sweetie, what are you doing?"

Sweetie: "I'm playing with an iPhone!"

Me: "Were you able to figure out how. . . "

Sweetie: "Yes, let me show you, here is a video I found of the Llama Song, I had to type in the name in the search box."

Me: "I can't hear it very well."

Sweetie: "I'll turn up the volume for you, you have to use the on-screen buttons. Like this."

Me: "How. . . "

Sweetie: "I'm good at this sort of thing, Daddy."

Lessons:

1. What passes for "intuitive" is entirely a subjective affair, I think.

2. Objects of desire produce an "anti-defeat field" that prevents the desirous individual from giving up on it until the individual "figures it out".

3. If a 7-year old can figure your product out in less than two minutes, you've done something right.

4. Never, EVER listen to the Llama Song.

2 comments:

Camie Vog said...

If she was able to figure it out, then you MUST get her one!!

LOL

Of course, you'll poop a brick when she loses it... (I speak with experience, after LittleMan lost his beloved Nintendo DS.)

Christopher Painter said...

Aren't little ones so clever? I have a 4 year old who can play games on Noggin ( including typing her name ) and a 2 year old who can pop a dvd out of it's case, stick it in the player and turn the TV on with the remote.

Scary yet awesome.