You know, the first thing that crossed my mind each time someone says “bad design” is the door handles along the AS1 and AS6 walkway. Goodness! With no offence to the decision maker who decided to plant that thing on every classroom door, why defy the universal mechanism of pushing down to unlock the door (and risk rendering unsuspecting users helpless and looking rather pathetic)?
The bad design I am sharing today is not the door handle though. We all had our fair share of its total lack of usability, and there is no point harping on something with such notorious reputation already. (You can read more on an ex-classmate’s blog if you are interested.)
The bad design I am sharing comes from this:
No kidding. Let me explain now that you have gotten over your momentary period of shock.
I know Apple epitomises great designs and I mean really GREAT designs (think: iPods, iPhones and the latest MacBook Air). I have recently switched over to Mac after being a Windows user for the longest time. Trust me, it is not just pretty outer shell, the interface scores way better in terms of usability it makes me wonder what took me so long to switch over.
I am a happy Mac user in all aspects but one – the battery mechanism. Here is how the back of MacBook looks like:
I was warned prior my switch that the battery might serve a little inconvenience and true enough, this random round metal disc has become a permanent appendage to my MacBook.
Why you may ask?
To maximise the life of the battery, I make it a point to remove the battery when the laptop is attached to the power supply. This is what you do to remove the battery from the MacBook:
1. Using the bronze disc, turn the button to the unlock position.
2. The battery will pop up upon reaching the unlock position.
3. To which, you can lift it up and hence, removing the battery successfully.
It didn’t help that I switched over from a Fujistu, whose latch/unlatch mechanism is so idiot-proof I never ever gave it a thought the whole three years when I was using it.
Given Apple’s brillant design team, it just did not make sense that they could not work on it further and make the battery mechanism as great as the rest of the MacBook.
I conducted a simple usability test with my mother and my brother. One who is weak with technology and handicapped when it comes to computers; and the latter has a fair share of technology and owns two laptops himself.
The test is simple. Without providing them with anything else other than the laptop, remove the battery from the slot.
1. My mother tried a push and turn approach, which failed for obvious reasons.
2. My brother who has been observing my mother all these while, took out a coin and remove the battery as he should.
Both of them felt that it is troublesome to have to remove the battery this way, especially when it is something that has to be taken in and out regularly. However, my brother added that it is not such a bad flaw given that a coin is something relatively easy to find, though the design should not be made as such in the first place.
The brand impression remains at status quo as they commented that “it is all part of the design and the whole Macbook looks really good”. It is apparent from their response that good visceral appearance can compensate minor design flaws.
Perhaps what Norman says is true; “none of this “tools adapt to the people” nonsense – people adapt to the tools”. For me, I have adapted well by attaching the round bronze disc to my laptop bag (just like how I have adapted to Mac OS X in mere weeks and became crippled and slow navigating around the once familiar Windows).
If you ask me, it is a bad design but I am ready to overlook it because there are so many more reasons why the Macbook is good design.
*Donald A. Norman in Human-Centered Design Considered Harmful
Tags: apple, bad design, macbook, norman
