Human Factors

The Faculty of Psychology at University of Basel (Switzerland) is asking for help. They want to know more about expectations of people looking at websites. To get a better understanding of what users expect to find on a homepage and where they would look for it, they carry out a survey which enables you to outline your expectations on three different types of websites (corporate, online shop, online newspaper). It takes only 10-15 minutes, but it will help to improve usability of websites and user satisfaction. And if you are lucky enough, you might even get an iPod Shuffle for your effort. The survey is available in English, German, Spanish and French, so there are hardly any excuses not to participate… ;-)

New World is currently introducing a new way of self-check out at their supermarkets on South Island and in Auckland. After testing one of the first stations in Nelson during the Christmas break, I can’t wait until they implement this system in Wellington. In earlier days (and as it still is common practice at Pack’n'Save) you had to pick up a hand-held scanner when entering the supermarket, scan your items during your way along the aisles and pay with a human, who could randomly check if you didn’t put more stuff in your bags than you scanned. It’s all different now! ;-)

You do your shopping as usual, and only when you approach the check out area, you have to decide if you want to use the self-check out or rather communicate with a human being.

If you feel like showing off your independence, you turn towards the check out machine and let it guide you through the process of turning the things in your basket from New Word property into your own belongings.

You scan your items, place them in a bag attached to some kind of scales (that’s how they know that you weren’t cheating) and chose the method of payment.

Finally you take away your bag. And that’s the only crucial point in the whole process – the machine definitely does expect you to take your bag. Just taking away your belongings and leave the plastic bag behind causes an error message. We chose to ignore it and got away with it. On the one hand it’s a nice way of stress-free shopping, but on the other hand it will most definitely cost some jobs. Why is there so often a down side on inventions like this?