When cleaning my teeth today (I didn’t say this morning because it may have been after midday – I had a slow start and it’s a Sunday) the electric toothbrush suddenly stopped rotating. I paused for a second or two, wondering if it might start again. The charging station was plugged in, but the toothbrush remained silent.
And then, without removing it from my mouth, I started moving it back and forth over my lower rear left teeth, as I would use a manual toothbrush. Even though it had either developed a fault or lost access to its power source, it degraded gracefully, allowing me to continue using it for its intended purpose.
Being a web designer, this inevitably reminded me of how websites should be built. (Though progressive enhancement is my strategy.)
Ever get the feeling your work colours your experiences of the world? :)
Harry Roberts has also blogged about Usability in everyday items over at CSS Wizardry.
2 Comments
Hehehe my toothbrush doesn’t provide much of this offline support (I tried few times and it was rubbish) but it does have built-in smiley faces display instead…
Anyway – you’re completely right about this – the more I work with colours and type the more I realise how it influences my life – shopping choices are the most obvious examples. From the other hand, it also works the other way around – it happens to me quite often that I want to replicate certain approach observed in ‘outside world’ while developing or designing something.
Sounds like you have a good flow of inspiration between life and design work, Marek. :) I find it’s easy to get mentally “stuck” in front of the computer if I don’t get out and experience things.