Where a user experience begins? This is an example on things designers should keep in mind before designing a new product. Here I talk about my experience using an ATM at the Stockholm airport.

I’ve been working hard the whole week to finish stuff before my trip to Sweden. What an exhausting week, I’m tired and I have a headache, still I decide To go to my colleague’s party. While I was having fun there I realized how late it was and leave to home. On Saturday morning I weak up even more tired than the day before, I prepare my suitcase and rush into the airport.

It’s early and I’m still sleepy and tired. I check in and pass through the security control. I look for my flight gate and walk the whole way there. I wait.

The airline employee call the passengers and everybody goes through the embarking gate to the airplane.

I’m not only tired, I’m a little bit nervous too. I’ve never been afraid of flying, but you know, there have been a few accidents recently…

Food was served, a cheese sandwich and some drinks. I ate some of the sandwich but I’m too nervous too finish it.

I’m tired and nervous and the flight seems to be too short to sleep.

Flight assistants announce that we are starting the landing, for some reason the voice coming from the speakers sounds too loud and a little bit disturbing.

We touch the ground and I feel much more relaxed. It was a perfect flight.

I’m still tired and feeling like after an exam. Released but a little bit tired. I see a “Welcome to my home town” sign together with pictures of ABBA, Roxette and other famous people. A different country, a different language and a different currency. I go to the exchange büro and ask the assistant if she could give me local money from my debit or credit card. She says no, and explains the way to the ATM. I wondered what was she there for if she could not give me some local money, but I’m too tired too think or complain, so I move towards the ATM.

I enter my card and I press the British flag on the screen hopping to get the instructions in a language I could understand. The ATM asks for my card’s PIN and I enter the 4 numbers. Nothing happens. No instructions, nothing would tell me what to do next. Only my PIN is there on the screen.

I’m tired and I think that it must be me not being able to read the options properly.

The messages on the screen were in English, I check the ATM’s keyboard and I see numbers and words in Swedish language, no “OK” or “Cancel” button, just Swedish.

I assume the ATM is waiting for me to press the OK button, but I can not find it.

I go to the Exchange Büro again and ask the woman if she could tell me where the OK button is. “Somewhere on the right” she said.

I go back to the ATM, try to find the OK button, but all I can read is words in a language I can not understand.

I don’t want to try buttons without being sure what they mean, ATMs usually “eat” cards if the user does 3 single mistakes entering information. Of course, being abroad without my debit card is something that I don’t want to experience…

Suddenly a Swedish couple comes and takes money out of the ATM. So, I ask them where the OK button is… I try myself… and voila! I got the money…

Now I wonder… are there ways to make flying a better experience?

Are those opportunities of improvement only on the plane?

Should an ATM in the city center behave like one in an airport?

How come that the graphic interface of this ATM was translated but the buttons not?

Thank you for listening!

This audio is part of the Design vs Art Blog. Visit us at www.designvsart.com.

I’ve been working hard the whole week to finish stuff before my trip to Sweden. What an exhausting week, I’m tired and I have a headache, still I decide To go to my colleague’s party. While I was having fun there I realized how late it was and leave to home. On Saturday morning I weak up even more tired than the day before, I prepare my suitcase and rush into the airport.

It’s early and I’m still sleepy and tired. I check in and pass through the security control. I look for my flight gate and walk the whole way there. I wait.

The airline employee call the passengers and everybody goes through the embarking gate to the airplane.

I’m not only tired, I’m a little bit nervous too. I’ve never been afraid of flying, but you know, there have been a few accidents recently…

Food was served, a cheese sandwich and some drinks. I ate some of the sandwich but I’m too nervous too finish it. I’m tired and nervous and the flight seems to be too short to sleep. Flight assistants announce that we are starting the landing, for some reason the voice coming from the speakers sounds too loud and a little bit disturbing. We touch the ground and I feel much more relaxed. It was a perfect flight.

I’m still tired and feeling like after an exam. Released but a little bit tired. I see a “Welcome to my home town” sign together with pictures of ABBA, Roxette and other famous people. A different country, a different language and a different currency. I go to the exchange büro and ask the assistant if she could give me local money from my debit or credit card. She says no, and explains the way to the ATM. I wondered what was she there for if she could not give me some local money, but I’m too tired too think or complain, so I move towards the ATM.

I enter my card and I press the British flag on the screen hopping to get the instructions in a language I could understand. The ATM asks for my card’s PIN and I enter the 4 numbers. Nothing happens. No instructions, nothing would tell me what to do next. Only my PIN is there on the screen.

I’m tired and I think that it must be me not being able to read the options properly. The messages on the screen were in English, I check the ATM’s keyboard and I see numbers and words in Swedish language, no “OK” or “Cancel” button, just Swedish. I assume the ATM is waiting for me to press the OK button, but I can not find it.

I go to the Exchange Büro again and ask the woman if she could tell me where the OK button is. “Somewhere on the right” she said.

I go back to the ATM, try to find the OK button, but all I can read is words in a language I can not understand.

I don’t want to try buttons without being sure what they mean, ATMs usually “eat” cards if the user does 3 single mistakes entering information. Of course, being abroad without my debit card is something that I don’t want to experience…

Suddenly a Swedish couple comes and takes money out of the ATM. So, I ask them where the OK button is… I try myself… and voila! I got the money…

Now I wonder… are there ways to make flying a better experience?

Are those opportunities of improvement only on the plane?

Should an ATM in the city center behave like one in an airport?

How come that the graphic interface of this ATM was translated but the buttons not?