Bruce Tognazzini has an article about a particularly odd control design on a GE dishwasher.
I have a GE dishwasher with a similar interface. However, in my house, I can immediately hear the water turn on when I hit START. I don’t even know if it has the RESET capability described, and I’ve never accidentally invoked it if it does. (Update: Yes, it does have the RESET behavior!)
Two points to emphasize:
– Feedback is incredibly important and visual feedback is not the only way to do it.
– The physical, psychological, social and emotional context of use is a huge factor in whether a design is successful.
As an aside, my dishwasher has all kinds of settings for the type of wash. The only buttons I’ve ever used are Normal Wash, Speed Wash, and Start. Combined with the door latch itself, that’s all I need. I actually chose this washer based on usability and design criteria – as well as function, of course.
