Monday, November 13, 2006

Interacting with an automatic towel dispenser

Place: Public bathrooms

Design issue: In an environment such as a mall or airport with users who may not read english well (kids, foreign travelers) how can a towel dispenser which is movement-activated best communicate to the user how to interact with it?

The first example image above tells the user exactly what to do, which is good, but it may be challenging for those who don't read english well. The second example tells the user how the device works, but not how to interact with it. It also uses a picture more commonly understood by most users and has a clear case which allows the user to see when the paper is empty.

Potential solutions: Combine the two interfaces. Show two hands in the proper orientation with an arrow pointing below. Also remove the time delay commonly found on these units which makes it hard to get two sheets of paper. Also add a light which blinks when a hand is detected (to help the user understand what the device is seeing) and add an out-of-paper blinking light that only comes on when the unit is empty. If this can't be determined reliably than the clear case is a decent solution. Interfaces that don't require touching are great for public areas and could be used more widely than they are.

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