The concept that all software begins with a reservoir of goodwill.
Users are initially prepared to be forgiving towards software issues.
Importance of Design Decisions
Good design can maintain or even enhance the reservoir of goodwill.
A key principle in user experience (UX) design is to avoid inconveniencing users without cause.
Negative Impact on User Goodwill
One guaranteed way to diminish goodwill is by arbitrarily inconveniencing users.
Krug's Bugbear: Formatting Data
Steve Krug emphasizes the significance of allowing users to input data in a flexible manner.
Many systems impose strict data formatting rules on users.
Examples of Poor Data Handling
This includes forcing users to conform to specific data formats, which can be eliminated with simple code.
Krug asserts this functionality should be within the skill set of any first-year computer science student.
Real-World Examples
Case Study 1: Birthday Gift Purchase
Example scenario: A user was attempting to purchase a gift voucher.
He provided credit card details and billing address but received an error due to formatting issues.
Error Message Issue: The system would not process the payment because of incorrect space formatting in a phone number, despite the format being correct for Ireland.
Case Study 2: Easons Bookseller
Another instance involved Easons, an Irish bookseller.
The retailer rejected a payment based on the use of a comma in the address field.
Case Study 3: Harry Curry Retailer
A large British retailer (Harry Curry) did not accept a postcode due to the presence of an included space.
The space was consistent with standard format practices.
Frustration with Poor Attention to Detail
The crucial point of frustration with these retailers is that the time invested in crafting error messages likely matches the time required to implement a working solution that automatically reformats user input.
The failures showcased imply a lack of awareness, laziness, or negligence in addressing user experience effectively.
Consequences of Poor User Experience
Poorly handling data formatting diminishes users' goodwill towards the brand.
It reflects the organization’s priorities and attentiveness to user needs.