Unexpected Benefits

As a father of 2 young children (ages 8 and 5), I receive the constant requests for toys that are meant for older kids.  I do my best to delay and avoid, but sometimes I am out-flanked. One such case was with the request of a zip-line.  Having heard about the numerous broken arms and injuries, I was successfully delaying and avoiding installing one of these until the grandparents saw an opportunity to offload one in their yard as a Christmas present.

Somewhat reluctantly, I installed the zip-line in my backyard. The zip-line consisted of a handle bar that the kids hold onto as they “zip down the line.” Right after I installed it, I immediately recognized it failed the prime directive of children’s toys, in my mind: children’s toys must wear out the children more than the parents.  Any toy that fails this test does not last long in my house. While my 5 year old was strong enough to hold on to that handle bar, I was nervous thinking that she could easily loose her grip, if not at first, then later after a series of rides. So, being the protective and dutiful father, I ran down the zip-line with her, holding my hands just beside her waist so in the event that she lost her grip I could catch her. After 10 minutes of this ridiculous task, I was in desperate need of another idea.

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Fireworks and the 9-Second Rule

If a firework doesn’t explode, how long would you wait before checking it?

According to research presented at HFES ’98, you would probably wait 9 seconds. The researchers ran a study with 30 participants and concluded that 95% of people would wait 9 seconds before approaching a firework they thought was a dud. The research was funded by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the results changed the old fuse burn time regulation for fireworks from 3-6 seconds to 3-9 seconds (PDF Link – Fuse burn time amendment). With a 3-9 second fuse burn time, manufacturers can produce safer fireworks that are less likely to short fuse (i.e., explode before 3 seconds).

So, this 4th of July weekend, if you happen to be around fireworks, expect them to explode between 3-9 seconds.

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Is more really better?

In recent years there has been a trend toward creating products with large feature sets. It’s great when a product has many well designed features. This empowers users by giving them more options/control and can provide for a positive user experience. However, there can be drawbacks to adding more and more features.

Merely adding features can unnecessarily complicate product usage. Adding functionality can mean more controls in less space, deeper menu structures, a steeper learning curve for the user, etc. When making product decisions one should always consider how these decisions will affect the user. Some basic ideas to keep in mind…

• Make sure the feature fits the product – Consider features carefully, only add features that either users have asked for or those that fit with the scope of the product. Do consumers really expect to be able to watch a movie on their microwave while waiting for their food to cook? Read more »

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