No one wants to read a manual
Miranda Capra / Consumer Products / UsabilityEric Taub of the New York Times posted on his blog this week an explanation of how Vizio, which was founded in 2002, became the largest seller of LCD TVs in the US. One of his key points: they provide an easy-to-understand one-sheet summary of how to hook up the TV, because no one wants to read a manual. If you can’t figure out how to hook up your TV, how likely are you to keep it?
In usability/human factors, we’ve known for years that users don’t want to read manuals. When we’re unable to push through a completely intuitive design, we can provide a pretty poster with your new computer or a wizard that runs the first time you start the software. When I explain my job to people I’ve just met, I tell them, “my goal is to make that new camera, phone, microwave, whatever you just bought so easy to use that you never have to open the manual.” And invariably their response is, “I wish there were more people in the world doing what you do.”
So, way to go, Vizio! Keep up the good work, and I wish there were more product designers in the world doing what you do.
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