The continuing story of Chase ATMs

So, in a previous comment someone questioned how a person could forget the card in the ATM and walk away since the card is really the key to your cash. How can it be left behind so easily?

For me, I figured out why today. When I pull out cash, I immediately put it in my wallet for safe keeping. I don't flaunt it. And, like when I'm at any store, when I'm done putting my "change" back in my wallet I put my wallet in my pocket. For safe keeping.

With the ATM, it's a unique transaction. When I pay with cash, I'm using cash. When I pay with plastic, I'm using plastic. When I'm at an ATM I'm using both. So, my mind goes into cash mode when I take the cash and I forget the card.

Best solution: an ATM that eats the card, reads it, verifies the info and spits it out before you can even get cash. That resolves the security isses with "swipe" machines and reduces the chance of forgetting the card.

Beryl Project

REVIEW

It's a fairly poorly written review, but that's not the point. I don't know many people that are familiar with Beryl, but in my opinion it's the first truly capable GUI for a Linux system. I know plenty of "usable" interfaces already exist, but this is the first one I've come in contact with that really has the proper focus.

Beryl Project Home Page

Beryl Project Features Page

While they even admit they borrow a number of features from the Macintosh interface, they have a few new ideas as well. I haven't actually looked at any of these videos on YouTube (they're referenced in the review) but here's what a simple search finds:

Beryl Project Videos. Maybe.

I recommend reading the features page and skimming the videos (or installing it on a machine if you're really interested). It's good to know that the open source community is finally moving in this direction.

History of Usability

Click me.

Chase

Chase ATMs have what I consider a "fatal flaw". Their machines ingest your card during the transaction, which is OK in my opinion for a number of reasons. But when the transaction is finished, there's a serious lag between the ejection of the card and an audible noise informing the user that the card has been ejected. I've almost been locked out of a late night bank lobby after walking away from the machine only to hear the beep almost too late.

A simple fix would be to have the beeping start the moment you press the final button. It boggles my mind that this has never changed.

So the other day I asked my friend Sarah where the best place to find an accurate definition of "Interaction Design" would be. She pointed me towards Wikipedia for a good start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interaction_design

On that page I found this quote:

"Interaction Design is often associated with the design of system interfaces in a variety of media...with a focus on developing the system to respond to the user's experience and not the other way around."

How fitting. I can't help but view Wikipedia as a great example of a system that responds to the user's experience. Granted, it's a web page and navigating the web doesn't change while using Wikipedia. But USING Wikipedia is certainly a different experience than using the web at large.

It's also a great example of what I would call very good Interaction Design, whereas I typically notice when Interaction Design fails the user and becomes a hinderance. Wikipedia is the opposite. You don't necessarily notice its interactive qualities, which is how a system should react.

My guess is most of my thoughts on design revolve around the negative and I'm just as interested in exploring the positives as well.