Unlike Boris bikes in London, Boris bikes in Beijing don’t need docking stations. Users use an app on their phones to unlock the bikes. bikes can be found anywhere in the city. It appears that users can leave them anywhere, and I can only assume that the app can tell any potential user where their… Continue reading Chinese boris bikes
Category: Blog
Talk to us – service designÂ
Walking across a bridge in London I noticed a sign… The Samaritans’ sign said: “talk to us if things are getting to you”. Now I’m going to make some assumptions about its origins, but it seems to be a brilliant multichannel service design. Prevention The sign and many like it worldwide have been designed as… Continue reading Talk to us – service designÂ
When cash is no longer trusted
Mobile payment in China is prevalent. In fact, it is so prevalent that cash is longer trusted (in some places). This sign, found in a shop window, tells its patrons that they must provide proof, presumably identification documents, when paying by cash. Paying with WeChat – the Chinese version of WhatsApp, AliPay, and Unionpay are… Continue reading When cash is no longer trusted
Pay it forward – a smokers moment of delight whilst travelling
Airports can be frustrating places for smokers. Throw away your lighter? keep it on you and hope they don’t confiscate it? hunt around for a smoking room or not? wonder if the airport has a smoking room? try to find the smoking room or not? etc etc Airports in china were particularly picky. no lighters… Continue reading Pay it forward – a smokers moment of delight whilst travelling
Usability of date fields in a non-latin language
I’m not going to lie – the thought of trying to find my way around Chinese websites was daunting, especially on mobile. For the most part, the websites I interacted with had English translations or some level of Chinglish. My fears were mainly unfounded. But I did come across an example that I found particularly… Continue reading Usability of date fields in a non-latin language
When people have no choice they’ll struggle through but this doesn’t mean you should treat people like they are computers – an online check-in experience.Â
Recently, I was trying to check in for a flight. it was a long-distance flight, so I felt it important to check-in and choose my seat as soon as it was available. I logged onto the website precisely 23.5 hours before the flight – 30 minutes after check-in opened. Treating people like computers In a… Continue reading When people have no choice they’ll struggle through but this doesn’t mean you should treat people like they are computers – an online check-in experience.Â
SMS reminder nudges
Some businesses use SMS messages to remind or nudge customers to reduce no-shows for appointments and reduce costs as they can better plan their business. I recently received two versions that were of equal importance to the business and customer; however, when you look past the reminder, one stood out by enabling the customer to… Continue reading SMS reminder nudges
Why smart error-prevention matters: a cinema booking story
As a user and service design consultant, I often spot small UX details that make a big difference. Sometimes they are frustrating. Other times, they quietly save the day. Recently, while booking cinema tickets for myself and some friends, I experienced a small but smart bit of design thinking in action. Recently, I booked cinema… Continue reading Why smart error-prevention matters: a cinema booking story
Tracking a journey in real time with citymapper
If you’d ask my friends they’d probably say that i’m not known for being the most punctual of people on a night out. So I was thrilled to find out about citymapper as journey tracker feature. it enables you to track and send journey details to a friend so you can arrive at the same… Continue reading Tracking a journey in real time with citymapper
Review of the NUX5 conference
I’d never really thought of heading out of London for a conference. I’m biased, I know, but London is usually where all the cool ‘stuff’ happens. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and diversity of the speakers at NUX5, held in Manchester. The speakers included; Boon Sheridan, Lola Oyelayo, Karina van Schaardenburg, Glenn A. Gustitus, Sophie Dennis, Graham Odds and Henny… Continue reading Review of the NUX5 conference