UX Rehab

Intervention: A Miscalculated Brand Response Follows Tragedy (Carnival Cruise Lines Edition)

Brian Ragan — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:50:32 +0000

Carnival has turned a tragic human experience into brand experience farce with an insulting offer to victims: refund plus 30% off a future cruise. No word on blackout dates.

Inspiration: The Coffee Shop Where Everyone Pays for Everyone Else’s Drinks

Brian Ragan — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:34:06 +0000

This is amazing. And is so much fun. It shows the power of language in shifting perceptions about an everyday experience we take for granted. And it shows actual people (not corporations) authentically co-opting commerce to do something good and joyful and connected. What an incredible way to re-invent for the better an experience we [...]

Inspiration: The Vertical Credit Card Solves A Common Usability Problem

Brian Ragan — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Here’s a solution to the anxiety-prone and time-wasting moment experience of figuring out which way to swipe a credit/debit card, while people in line behind you roll their eyes and tap their feet: A vertical credit card. I don’t know Chase’s motives for designing a credit card with a vertical orientation instead of a horizontal one [...]

Investigation: Saving 30% on Dinner is Great, But How Can This Last?

Brian Ragan — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:45:00 +0000

This receipt (swiped from a Facebook post for Savored.com) shows a discount of $612.65 on dinner from Club A Steakhouse in Manhattan. So here’s what I want to know: How can restaurants that participate in Savored.com (Facebook | Twitter) and Restaurant.com (Facebook | Twitter) actually draw enough business to cover the costs of these extraordinary [...]

Inspiration: Subtle, But Nice Effect for a Video Player/Browser

Brian Ragan — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:07:49 +0000

It’s subtle, but the New York Times designed a nice effect for a full page video player/browser: the left nav and Other Videos nav on the bottom dim unless you roll over them. It helps the video stand out, and provides fewer visual distractions while watching it. Subtle. Not setting the world on fire for [...]

Intervention: Google Map Searches California for a Restaurant a Block Away in Delaware

Brian Ragan — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:44:19 +0000

Google, you drive me nuts with this: when I’m in Bethany Beach, DE (before this screenshot I clicked the current location arrow and it showed me where I was in BB), and I search “Parkway” to get the phone number of a restaurant a half mile away, why are you giving me as a result [...]

Intervention: Yelp Mobile Won’t Stop Selling the App—But I Already Have It!

Brian Ragan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:44:00 +0000

Yelp: stop showing me this screen. You’re wasting my time and are chipping away at my goodwill toward you. I already have the app. I’m on the mobile site for a reason (usually because I clicked on a Google search result). At least let me click to never show this screen again. Maybe better: deliver [...]

Intervention: iOS Calendar Needs to Provide Link to Map from Location Field

Brian Ragan — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:51:00 +0000

iOS calendar, why can’t I tap on my meeting location and have you serve up a map? Fix this, so I don’t have to: tap Edit tap the title/location area long tap the location field tap Select All tap Copy tap the home button find and tap Maps tap Search (if i’m not there already) [...]

Investigation: The Netflix Conundrum: Streaming or DVDs

Brian Ragan — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:55:00 +0000

We’re not paying $16 a month for Netflix. And let’s face it, I’m not becoming a Blockbuster customer (too much brand baggage). We’ll pick Netflix streaming or DVDs, until a great competitor comes to our attention. In the meantime, what should we do? Here’s my analysis: We have a DVD at home, unwatched, from last [...]

Inspiration: TripTracker Leverages Anonymous Social Pressure to Get Reviews

Brian Ragan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:25:00 +0000

This is a very smart request. Instead of just asking me if I want to rate the app, TripTracker prods me to join the thousands of people who have rated the app with five stars. It’s a great psychological move: “don’t you want to be among the many who realize how awesome this is?” My [...]