3 ms·

For the first time recently I started going to a McDonald’s that uses the kiosks. The response lag to touch inputs is surprisingly bad. It’s quite shocking actu

For the first time recently I started going to a McDonald’s that uses the kiosks. The response lag to touch inputs is surprisingly bad. It’s quite shocking actually how awkward it feels to tap something and then wait awhile for it to react at all. The urge to tap again is overwhelming for even a few hundred milliseconds lag. Another example: using the payment thing at a 7-11. You have to say if you want cashback or not by tapping on the screen (can’t use pin pad). Tapping a selection results in a minuscule change in contrast on the button that’s almost impossible to see in part because the buttons are smaller than a finger. And then it still doesn’t move on to the next screen for a few seconds, leaving you to wonder if you actually made a selection of if it’s still waiting because it didn’t register your tap.

robinsonb5 4y ago
The worst example of UI lag I've ever seen is on the shiny new treadmills they installed at my local gym a few years ago. While there are a few physical controls, most of them are now touchscreen-based. The speed-up and speed-down controls adjust the target speed, but the only visual feedback shows how fast the treatmill's currently running, and there's no indication of whether it's reached the target speed, which can take several seconds... So a new user hops on the treadmill, leans on the speed-up button until it feels about right, lets go then hammers the speed down button in a panic as it keeps getting faster! Fun to watch, but a poster-child for how not to do UX!
- criddell 4y ago
  The worst example for me is the volume knob on the radio in my car. When I start it in the morning I often find out that I was listening to something too loud last time I drove and I fruitlessly spin the knob for the ten seconds it takes for the radio to finish booting. I think the digital version of the volume knob is a serious downgrade from the old analog version. It's probably cheaper though. The manufacturer saves $10 and I spend the next 5 years swearing at my car right after starting it.

robinsonb5 4y ago

The worst example of UI lag I've ever seen is on the shiny new treadmills they installed at my local gym a few years ago. While there are a few physical controls, most of them are now touchscreen-based. The speed-up and speed-down controls adjust the target speed, but the only visual feedback shows how fast the treatmill's currently running, and there's no indication of whether it's reached the target speed, which can take several seconds... So a new user hops on the treadmill, leans on the speed-up button until it feels about right, lets go then hammers the speed down button in a panic as it keeps getting faster! Fun to watch, but a poster-child for how not to do UX!

criddell 4y ago
The worst example for me is the volume knob on the radio in my car. When I start it in the morning I often find out that I was listening to something too loud last time I drove and I fruitlessly spin the knob for the ten seconds it takes for the radio to finish booting. I think the digital version of the volume knob is a serious downgrade from the old analog version. It's probably cheaper though. The manufacturer saves $10 and I spend the next 5 years swearing at my car right after starting it.