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This paragraph about the door in the station is astounding: > The design model here is that the door is motion-sensor-activated. But the system image communic

This paragraph about the door in the station is astounding: > The design model here is that the door is motion-sensor-activated. But the system image communicates to the user that it’s button-operated, so the user ends up with the wrong user model. Worst of all, the designer of this door went to lengths to create this bad system image. They deliberately designed a piece of plastic that looks like a button, aimed the motion sensor at it, and even added a light inside the button to highlight it more prominently to the user. They should have read Don Norman. I think what happened is the door was motion-activated, but people were failing to activate the sensor. But then, instead of drawing attention to the sensor, or adding a real button, they made a fake button that is vaguely in the area that the sensor points at, to try to trick people into moving their hands in the sensed region.

fredley 9y ago
I've been fighting these buttons my whole adult life, until reading this article I had no idea the button wasn't even a button (though they do not depress, I just assumed it was touch-sensitive). As one commenter points out, by far the worst UI is that of the toilet door mechanisms on some trains: three buttons for close, lock and open. It's terribly over-engineered, confusing, and requires an instruction panel. For a toilet door lock.
- smcl 9y ago
  The toilet doors are awful - on more than one occasion I've tried to enter the bathroom only to see a horrified person sitting with their trousers/skirt down being slowly revealed to the world (having failed to hit the lock button after the door closed). No matter how frantically they mash the buttons they have to wait for that giant door to slowly open fully, then slowly close. Just awful.
  - SmellyGeekBoy 9y ago
    They really are ridiculous. I was on a train journey recently where a frantic mother spent a good 5 minutes trying to extract her child who had accidentally locked the door from the inside and was in hysterics because he couldn't get out.
- moonbug 9y ago
  https://zarino.co.uk/media/virgin-toilet-lock.jpg https://zarino.co.uk/media/virgin-toilet-lock.jpg For anyone who wants to see a door handle only an engineer could love.
  - jstanley 9y ago
    If the "open" button both unlocks and opens, what use case is there for closing the door from the inside without locking it?
    - longwave 9y ago
      The doors take so long to close that it would be easy to press the button and immediately exit the toilet, leaving it locked but with nobody inside, effectively taking it out of use for other passengers.
    - henrikeh 9y ago
      I think it is to prevent vandals from closing and locking the door from the outside.
    - crottypeter 9y ago
      I use that button to close the door when I have finished using the train toilet. You have to race the automatic door and rush out before it closes on you. (Of course the button should be outside).
      - jstanley 9y ago
        Why do you want to close the door if you're not inside? If that's not the norm, doesn't it just indicate to others that the toilet is occupied?
        fredley 9y ago
        Because they stink, and it's very unpleasant for people in the carriage sitting near the toilet if the door is open.
- gadders 9y ago
  Luckily on my trains we have those as well as the old style toilets. I don't trust the new ones at all.
- mino 9y ago
  > I had no idea the button wasn't even a button I too "pressed" those buttons hundred of times. Never I would have imagined that they are just a piece of plastic with a motion sensor pointed on.
encrystation 9y ago
That's the door between train carriages, not in the station. I've never experienced an issue with the fake button but I'm going to pay attention to that sensor now!
philipov 9y ago
And replacing the motion sensor with an actual button never occurred to anyone. I guess it was a vendor's business requirement to justify the price? I can imagine that conversation between manager and engineer, "No, you can't remove the motion sensor. We sold them motion-sensitive doors! And while you're at it, the sensor's cost needs to be reduced more."
crottypeter 9y ago
On busy commuter trains those doors (between carriages) never close because there are people standing close enough to trigger the sensor at all times. As a result the train is noisy and draughtier than necessary.
gadders 9y ago
Sometimes the button and the sensor don't work so you have to pull them apart with your bare hands.

fredley 9y ago

I've been fighting these buttons my whole adult life, until reading this article I had no idea the button wasn't even a button (though they do not depress, I just assumed it was touch-sensitive). As one commenter points out, by far the worst UI is that of the toilet door mechanisms on some trains: three buttons for close, lock and open. It's terribly over-engineered, confusing, and requires an instruction panel. For a toilet door lock.

smcl 9y ago
The toilet doors are awful - on more than one occasion I've tried to enter the bathroom only to see a horrified person sitting with their trousers/skirt down being slowly revealed to the world (having failed to hit the lock button after the door closed). No matter how frantically they mash the buttons they have to wait for that giant door to slowly open fully, then slowly close. Just awful.
- SmellyGeekBoy 9y ago
  They really are ridiculous. I was on a train journey recently where a frantic mother spent a good 5 minutes trying to extract her child who had accidentally locked the door from the inside and was in hysterics because he couldn't get out.
moonbug 9y ago
https://zarino.co.uk/media/virgin-toilet-lock.jpg https://zarino.co.uk/media/virgin-toilet-lock.jpg For anyone who wants to see a door handle only an engineer could love.
- jstanley 9y ago
  If the "open" button both unlocks and opens, what use case is there for closing the door from the inside without locking it?
  - longwave 9y ago
    The doors take so long to close that it would be easy to press the button and immediately exit the toilet, leaving it locked but with nobody inside, effectively taking it out of use for other passengers.
  - henrikeh 9y ago
    I think it is to prevent vandals from closing and locking the door from the outside.
  - crottypeter 9y ago
    I use that button to close the door when I have finished using the train toilet. You have to race the automatic door and rush out before it closes on you. (Of course the button should be outside).
    - jstanley 9y ago
      Why do you want to close the door if you're not inside? If that's not the norm, doesn't it just indicate to others that the toilet is occupied?
      - fredley 9y ago
        Because they stink, and it's very unpleasant for people in the carriage sitting near the toilet if the door is open.
gadders 9y ago
Luckily on my trains we have those as well as the old style toilets. I don't trust the new ones at all.
mino 9y ago
> I had no idea the button wasn't even a button I too "pressed" those buttons hundred of times. Never I would have imagined that they are just a piece of plastic with a motion sensor pointed on.

encrystation 9y ago

That's the door between train carriages, not in the station. I've never experienced an issue with the fake button but I'm going to pay attention to that sensor now!

philipov 9y ago

And replacing the motion sensor with an actual button never occurred to anyone. I guess it was a vendor's business requirement to justify the price? I can imagine that conversation between manager and engineer, "No, you can't remove the motion sensor. We sold them motion-sensitive doors! And while you're at it, the sensor's cost needs to be reduced more."

crottypeter 9y ago

On busy commuter trains those doors (between carriages) never close because there are people standing close enough to trigger the sensor at all times. As a result the train is noisy and draughtier than necessary.

gadders 9y ago

Sometimes the button and the sensor don't work so you have to pull them apart with your bare hands.