iphone interaction issues
For a first version of a product, the iphone has some pretty solid interaction design employed. However, there are a few flaws in their design that could use revision. Unfortunately, since the precedent is already set and people have gotten use to using it, altering some fundamental features may cause a riot.
Ever pocket dialed someone? A bit embarrassing, huh? Well the iphone now makes this easier than ever! In fact, now there are THREE ways to accidentally call someone!
Here is the deal: Within the contacts area, users are listed by name and when selected, all their details appear, allowing you to then place a call, text, whatever from this list. This 2 step process allows you to verify the person selected and then confirm an action. However within the ‘favorites’ and ‘recents’ areas, clicking on the name calls them immediately! So this leads to many, many, accidental phone calls while trying to scroll, selecting an adjacent contact, trying to hit the tiny ‘details’ button, or merely forgetting that it all works differently in these areas. The better option would be to use a consistent 2 step approach.
Would you rather have to hit two buttons than to accidentally call your boss at 1am?
In this case, Jakob Nielsen’s 10 commandments still apply: “Error Prevention.”