The usability newsletter at usabilitynews.com came up with a list of items that could improve usability for POS systems: cashier systems at fastfood restaurants, retailer stores and the like.
The first thing on the list is FAILING TO CONSIDER THE END USER.
This sounds like an obvious one and it is, but still, it’s the first step to take.
I work at a Corporate HQ far away from the people who actually use the systems I create, and I experience this all the time. If I don’t take the time to go over and have a look, talk to them and see what they actually want, it always results in a merely functional rather then a usable and functional system.
1. FAILING TO CONSIDER THE END USER
When I’m hired to design a Point of Sale system, I always start with Field Studies—visits to actual sites where the cashiering system will be used. I nearly always find that the system doesn’t match employee processes, and that the employees have developed ways to “get around” the system and/or make up for system limitations.Observing employees and conducting interviews at representative business sites are a critical first step in designing a quick and efficient POS system that reduces both errors and training time. Site visits also help ensure a redesign that considers the employee environment, including physical space constraints, distractions, etc.
How to Design a System that Everybody Hates