Comments on: On the usability of taps and the lessons for web design

By: Paul Smith

Paul Smith — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:51:31 +0000

Nice. Although as we all now have to speak American online (see Daily Mail 'moms' 'butt' 'Britain's David Cameron' 'Manchester Utd Soccerball Club' - only one of those is made up) shouldn't your title be ' on the usability of faucets'??

By: Paul J

Paul J — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:57:29 +0000

For stuff thats been around since Victorian times, like taps, just go back to some of the original designs. Victorian taps have a comfortable bulge on the handle, are easy to repair,with standard parts, and last.

By: Paul J

Paul J — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:51:08 +0000

I have a caravan, with a foot pump to the tap. Imagine putting one of these electronic taps on it, frustrating to use.
Now imagine whats its like for me to use a website designed on a state of the art computer, on my decrepid old thing, ---- frustrating to use.
All web designers should use a 7 year old computer to test their sites!
Kind regards from a pig farmer.

By: Malcolm Coles

Malcolm Coles — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:12:39 +0000

Thanks - fixed!

By: Stavros

Stavros — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:58:26 +0000

Good one Malcom, thanks.

But.. Test it works!
I think the last word in your sentence:
"So when the white bit obscures hot (and the pointy bit points at cold), it’s cold."
should be hot, no?

By: On the usability of taps and the lessons for web design | UX Booth

On the usability of taps and the lessons for web design | UX Booth — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:59:49 +0000

[...] On the usability of taps and the lessons for web design http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/usability-taps-lessons-web-design/ [...]

By: Marianna Samara

Marianna Samara — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:10:03 +0000

That's a brilliant article!
I always find it easier to understand and memorise web design guidelines if we use examples from everyday life.
Especially the first example with train toilets is something I have experienced myself in East midlands trains too!

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out how some things work while they should be self-explanatory and make your life easier than more complicated!

They even have produced touch screen tap!
http://www.reevoo.com/decidewhattobuy/2009/04/gadget-watch-tap-with-face-recognition/

Lesson: Not because complicated features have developed we should use them in all websites and especially a number of them in just one site!

By: Shawn Goodin

Shawn Goodin — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:44:57 +0000

I have only spent time in the arena of software design but it made me think maybe there should be design patterns for such functional objects like "taps" or faucets as we say in the states.

By: IT'S BROKEN

IT'S BROKEN — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:47:20 +0000

Yet more on water...

Malcolm Coles has been reviewing the usability of taps and how it translates to web design.

Among the lessons,

If you're writing loads of help text for your site or tools because of problems in usability testing, there's something wrong with ...

By: Malcolm Coles

Malcolm Coles — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:01:00 +0000

It took about six weeks - and I don't visit that many different toilets, so it doesn't say much about tap designs ... The hard bit was thinking up a lesson for web design for each one - the 'degrade gracefully' took longest. Anyway, when I've thought of one for your boeing example (any thoughts?) I'll add it, thanks.