This is a solo episode in which I critique the design of Abbott’s BinaxNow Covid-19 Antigen Self Test. This test is available in retail stores (in the USA a pack of two costs, in June of 2021, about $20). It tests for proteins one’s body makes when fighting a Covid-19 infection, the symptoms of which not everyone experiences in the same way. The use of rapid antigen self tests could revolutionize public health for COVID and beyond. Imagine getting ready to visit someone you love whose health is compromised in some way that makes them highly susceptible to a disease that is going around your area. A rapid self-test can put minds at ease, especially for symptoms that allergies can mimic. Use of rapid self tests can protect coworkers, family, friends, etc., because if enough people use them during a time of an outbreak, those who may test positive for being infectious can self-isolate and prevent the spread while they contact their doctor to get help if needed. Self tests make the invisible become visible so people can make healthy choices. I also think it’s important for the results to be private for the person testing themselves and not report the test result via phone or computer to an organization that may or may not respect patient confidentiality. The BinaxNow test is non-electronic so I like it for that reason already. The patient is free to divulge their result if they want to, and could even take the test in front of someone if some kind of confirmation of the result is needed, but privacy is built in to the design by default.
The BinaxNow test is as easy to use as advertised. The only improvements needed in my experience are a lower price per unit and less daunting technical communication. Perhaps for regulatory reasons, the BinaxNow instructions have a LOT of text on a double sided poster. But the instructions worked for me in the first use, so criticizing the instructions might be unfair.
As promised in the episode, here are some links about the advantages of cheap, easy to use rapid antigen self tests from the two experts discussed in this episode. There are no doubt other experts out there and I encourage you to do your own research. Depending on one’s personal risk profile and the risk profiles of the people around you, this product category may have a lot to offer the world.
WELP Magazine have us in their list of 20 Best Product Design Podcasts of 2021. They have great taste! Thanks to the WELP magazine team for that, and also thanks for informing us of other user experience-related shows we didn’t know about. So much good free content is out there and the only problem is finding time to enjoy it all. But that’s the best problem to have!
Eric Penn rejoins Tim Keirnan on the show for a critique of Garmin dash cameras. And on Design Critique, you know we bought them with our own money and used them over a number of years, no review units on loan for a week or other favors from the manufacturer. The guys discuss the following models:
* nuviCam LMTHD that combines a GPS with a dash cam
* Garmin 35
* Garmin 46
* Garmin Mini
In both Eric’s and Tim’s critiques, Garmin customer support was a big positive to the customer experience. Sure, the products were useful and usable, without any outstanding problems, but the quality of the customer service is an integral part of the hardware.
When Tim’s nuviCam broke after only two years, Garmin customer support worked diligently to help him fix it. Even though it could not be fixed, having a company sincerely try to help solve a problem salvaged the relationship and Tim would consider another Garmin purchase in the future. Our previous episode with customer service professional expert Charlotte Purvis rings true here. Having high quality staff pleasantly and competently helping on the phone makes a big difference to a brand.
In Eric’s case, his Dash Cam 35 broke under the warranty period and Garmin quickly replaced it. No fuss, no muss. Eric discusses using the Garmin 46 and Garmin Mini together to record both front and rear views in his FiestaST.
Eric also talks about his use of Garmin products for cycling. Visit Eric’s YouTube channel for a glimpse into his life on wheels.
Garmin website publicity photos respectfully used without permission.
Charlotte Purvis joins Timothy Keirnan for a discussion about how she ensures good user experience with her clients’ customer service professionals. When we call an organization for help with a product or service, these people are on the front line of customer interaction. How well they assist us will impact our perceptions of a product, and also affect the brand of the company that sold it to us.
Purism’s Librem 5 smart phone was featured in a video from the good people at iFixit. All three phones in this video have easy-to-access components that make them easy to repair or customize over the life of the product. This is exactly what we at DesignCritique: Products for People advocate for most electronic devices. We value the ease of repair and easy modification of a device over the ultra-thin, glued-shut, replace every two years model that so currently dominates the marketplace.
The Librem 5 is Purism’s re-envisioning what a smartphone could be and should be. It runs on Purism’s own Linux distribution, PureOS, which is certified by the Free Software Foundation to be free of non-transparent, proprietary code such as many commercial products use. Open source code has the potential to be less liable to sneak back doors in to what one’s computer is doing, if qualified people audit it regularly.
The “Evergreen” batch of Librem 5 phones is the first official production model, and possesses unique qualities not found in most smart phones:
* Hardware switches to turn on/off camera, microphone, WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular connection.
* Easily removable battery for easy replacement.
* Easy access to replace the cellular modem and the WiFi/Bluetooth circuitry
* Updates to the PureOS operating system for the long term, not just a few years.
* Connection via USB-C to an external monitor.
* Does not inherently track customers’ usage of the phone and apps.
As of December 2020, this Evergreen batch of phones does not have a sleep function, so battery life is very short. The microphone of this particular Librem 5 is described as sounding “muffled” and “under water” compared to other smart phones when I call someone on it. Purism promises continuous improvements to both the phone’s operating system and the Linux kernel that interacts with the hardware, so I’m hoping that improves with time. At this time, for this typical smart phone user, the phone is not usable as my “daily driver”. A future episode will focus on the software of the Librem 5 after I’ve used it more.
Adam Curry on the No Agenda Show sometimes has his Off The Grid segment that discusses alternatives for secure personal communications. Give it a listen.
Susan Weinschenk joins Timothy Keirnan to discuss the second edition of her wonderfully useful and usable book 100 Things Every Designer Should Know About People. First published in 2011, 100 Things… has helped many types of professionals and students learn to be better designers. Now Susan has updated it for 2020 and you will hear her and Tim discuss:
What led Susan to update a modern design classic.
Reflections on Susan’s other books, which Tim has been reading since 1997’s GUI Design Essentials.
Neuro Web Design will have a second edition. You heard it here first on Design Critique: Products for People!
Tim’s favorite chapters
How Susan and her coworkers at The Team W are handling presentations and conferences remotely in 2020.
We’re 15 years old! Tim Keirnan is joined by show co-founder Tom Brinck plus UX legend Stephanie Rosenbaum for a celebration of the show’s 15th anniversary. From July 2005 through now, we’ve kept going when other shows faded away.
Tom and Stephanie continue our discussion series on the “buzzwordification” of UX–the good and the bad of our terminology becoming popular in the past five years–and memories from 15 years of doing the show.
Thanks to everyone who listened, wrote, and guested on the show. We’re proud of 15 years of our discussions on design, without annoying ads interrupting the informal, naturalistic conversations. Have a listen and feel free to dig into the older episodes in our archive!
This is a short episode on the dark pattern of not allowing a customer to leave a service without having to go through a lot of unnecessary effort. I had not intended to leave but was just checking the monthly cost of my digital subscription–and noticed that there was NO way to stop the monthly billing of my credit card.
This made me so angry I immediately decided to cancel the subscription, even though the content was good. It’s the principle of the thing. As a customer freely engages with a business, so should they be able to leave. Unless there’s a commitment in a contract, which did not apply in this case. It took a 15 minute online chat to accomplish what should take one minute and a couple clicks.
Kelly Goto, owner and principal of gotomedia and gotoresearch, joins Timothy Keirnan for a discussion about universal design and related topics. Dave M-R and Tim discussed Kelly’s excellent 2018 article about professional terminology in episode 135 last year. Now she is on the show herself to cover a fun range of topics, including
Universal Design,
Inclusive Design,
Accessibility,
Japanese design,
Advice for students, and
Designing for an aging population.
Join us for 45 minutes of serious discussion that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Kelly provided the following links to continue the learning after you’re done listening:
