WHAT A JOB EH ?

“To attention of the designers, the producers and the users!”

March 22, 2009

I like to draw attention to the three design shames (defects) which are not particular to us but rather a common mistake done by all world as well. As an architect I say the solution is not a big deal. All it takes is a fair skill of industrial design.

I still can not comprehend how come it looks like these defects bother not anybody at all. I am pretty sure one who will roll sleeves to solve these problems will realize what had happened to himself or herself several times, happens to millions of other people as well. Finally rather than talking to myself, I decided to write. I hope that somebody might calculate the time, energy and care wasted for these troubles and finds the solution.

WHAT IS THAT FIRST SHAME ?

Now tell me; how many times a day you plug and unplug the spare memory of your pc, or the cordless mouse antenna or the printer’s USB connection which all function pretty well same. And please tell me; whenever you try to plug, don’t you think again and think again if it is right side or wrong side of the plug?.. I mean, the tiny square boxes so much look alike from both sides. Actually which side has holes and which side without holes, can you really fit it in place at one shot? I don’t think so. As I know of my own experience and many other people’s around me, the chance of tackle at first trial is not more than %50. Looking carefully to perceive the brand-name or any other sign, or observe with a sharp keen eye to select the side with empty tiny boxes to make the right dash

every time. Because there is no indentation or relief (embossed) which

could be sensed with a touch of finger or an eye catching bright color or a physical difference in form. Thus every time for a few seconds you have to concentrate your attention on this tiny gadget… Moreover sometimes if you push too hard in rush with anger “why it doesn’t go man!” as it had happened to me, you may cause damage on your PC.

There are 1.6 billion computers in the world. Which means any of these mishaps may happen three-four times per number of computers, in other words considering half of five billion computer turn-on per day, two and half billion times USB plug-ins per day, spent 4 seconds for each plug-in? It is certain that; to find out if the USB plug is “right or reverse ?”costs the worldaverage 10 billion seconds per day which is equal to 2,777 000 hours divided by 8 hours work/day it makes 347125 days.

In other words it is as much time equals to “one thousand years work of one person “ or

“one years work of one thousand people.”

Assuming one day’s work creates $ 50.00 worth of production,

347125 X 50.00 = $ 17,356,120.00. Even with some discount, nevertheless still it is 15 million dollar loss per day in question in the account of all human kind..

This is a very simple calculation. Even if the time spent and the money cost comes one half of this figure, what about getting upset because of the short delays at work and all other harms following as a chain reaction, all impossible to account…

Who are waiting and for what! To change those stupid international standards?

Either convert it to regular plug-unplug or skillfully design something that can be differentiated (sensed) by a touch of hand or visually by human eye. Is it too hard to do?

This was my first question.

LET’S COME TO THE SECOND ONE

Have you ever seen illuminated digital numbers (floor indicators) on the elevator buttons? I have not seen any. However the existing illumination circling the buttons makes the numbers less visible and harder to see. Usually the numbers are embossed on steel background which makes it difficult to read. Aha, you may find illuminated buttons once every while, Nevertheless when you try to find and touch the right floor button the light comes-on but around the wrong one, there you got the wrong button again. The light lights the wrong button and too late. The elevator goes up and you want to see what floor is next, than you start pushing people around and stretch your neck to see the digital plate mounted on an awkward location on the side wall, if not colored white on blue background the most difficult colors to distinct. However the elevator designers never think or rarely think to assemble the digital plate right on the elevator’s door, a place where riders of the elevator normally face and watch. The alternative design is too easy to overcome, go ahead assemble all digital info on one plate, let it be stuffed, never mind, an easy and cheep solution as well.

Is such a work really that difficult? Or, the industrial designers are they mentally disabled? Or, the manufacturers are they this much blind? Or may be the designers and manufacturers never use an elevator?

Do not think I only criticize and condemn the domestic manufacturers, this is also an international problem as well. Look at the elevator cabins produced by the world wide known famous brands, look with a critical and keen eye, you will see many defects that will shame me for I missed them. If anybody catch it, I will never feel shame rather it makes me happy. Let me know the names of people who deserve that medal. I kiss them on the cheeks to congratulate.

THIS IS THE THIRD ONE FOR NOW

Why the enter button is on right hand side on all PC keyboards? Is it because; all PC’s are made for left handed? Of course it is not so.But unfortunately this is the only logical answer.. As you all know the mouse usually used by right hand. If your mouse is very skillful or functions as the enter button no problem. But %99 of mouse don’t have enter function, than as you need to use enter button either your left hand moves all the way to the right corner of the keyboard or the right hand leaves the mouse to press enter. Please give a big hand (clap) to the pc users who would mind to object such a torment.

Think a man like myself who has been using computers last 25 years. How many hundred thousand times I had to endure this trouble and remembered deep in my heart the keyboard designers with “good feelings(!)..”

Now some smart guys might advise me to redesign the keyboard and re-function one key on the left side as the enter key. I am sorry but nobody is obliged to change his aunt to be his uncle by adding a moustache on her face.

WELL (ALL RIGHT), WHAT TO DO?

An elevator carries you up to the wrong floor or you play the right or reverse button game with that tiny computer plug or the enter button on the wrong side of keyboard all these small deficiencies cause an immeasurable time loss to the millions of technical person who do intensive works on computers. In my opinion the cost of this lost time is immeasurable. Even with a very simple calculation the total cost of the lost time and energy will be several folds of hundred million dollars easily. We may ignore the cost of the lost time of our lives as usual, but we still have to realize and understand that we could stop 2 million barrel of oil (at least $ 50 per barrel) polluting the environment and keep our World clean, that is what we are loosing by ignoring these deficiencies.

Somebody might say “we should rather utilize clean energy instead of oil, than we shouldn’t be this much in harm”But what about the cost of the lost time?

In my opinion; the waste of the human brain energy is the most serious of all loses.

It is the greatest injustice that a human being can commit to another human being..

Dear designers roll-up your sleeves. Save the humanity from those simple looking but harmful design shames which in reality seriously effect our lives.

Dear manufacturers; for you too it is time to decide either you should change the production moulds or chance your heads, decide for once and all..

Architect Celik ERENGEZGIN