1.1. Understandable and Confusing Design
- Understandable Design – Gamepad
The form of the gamepad and the orientation of text signify how to hold the gamepad. The usage of the buttons can be easily figured out (can be pushed, are labeled, have different color). Affordance is conveyed through buttons (pressing) and sticks (can be moved). The digital trigger have different feedback then the analog trigger, which indicate the difference of two (similar) triggers.
- Confusing Design – Window Mechanism
The problem with the handle is that there are no signifiers how to use them. Should the knob be pulled, pressed, turned, moved (in which direction) ? I have also noticed other people looking for an indication, then for the mechanism the window is based on to be opened, and finally tried to push up the metal stick (which prevents the window from being opened) from the bottom side of the window. So it was easier to figure out how the underlying mechanism works instead of using the handle it was supposed to be used. It’s difficult to figure out how it works because pulling the tiny knob up will may not respond in immediate feedback. If the button is not moving (due to the fact that there is pressure on the metal stick), the user will try the next possibility to open the window.
Confusing Design – Therm
The confusing part consists in the eco-Button. One might assume that pressing the eco-Button toggles the function, but pressing the button when it’s already turned on will do nothing. So, to turn the function off you have to press the reset-button. But why reset? Are there any sideeffects? Why not call it „Eco on“ and „Eco off“ then? Why not one button?
1.2. Strange looking object
- The photo does not indicate the size, so it may be a big pot which can be pulled in any side without turning it too much.
1.3. Bars in Japan
The first thing that came to my mind was that they prevent cars and bigger vehicles from driving through, since we have similar bars in vienna. So the affordance would be to stop your vehicle before you hit the bars. Another affordance might be to tie dogs there, because they might not be allowed on the track. The leash would be tied around the white stripes (pun not intended btw).
1.4. Signifier or Affordance?
| Signifier | Affordance | |
| Barbed wire | X | X |
| Danger sign | X | |
| Door knob | X |
1.5. Misleading affordances
- The window knob (mentioned above) – A button that looks like it has to be pulled or pushed, but must be moved
- The control buttons on monitors / TV screens, which are touch buttons and not physical buttons. In most cases there is only a label indicating that there is something, but no actual identifier what to do (invisible affordance)
- The Avira Antivir „Always Ignore“ – function, which is available when a file is detected as malicious. „Always ignore“ only means that it is ignored this session and after a restart it will show up again, which is misleading.
- Usb connection – the rectangle form indicates that the connector can be plugged in in two different ways.
- Yes-No-Cancel Options are mostly misleading, because No and Cancel either mean the same or the result of hitting Cancel is unclear.
1.6. Improve a Confusing Signifier
Confusing Signifier
The confusing signifier in the picture above is the concrete block in the middle of the sidewalk. It’s possible to come from the same side where the picture was taken. The block signifies that you should not walk through there, but it doesn’t tell you what you should do else. Go back to where you came from? Try to get to the sidewalk somehow?
The image below shows how an additional sidewalk would allow people to change to the other side. Another way would be to add a fence, which you can pass (to signify that the sidewalk should not be passed from the other side) with an additional sign „Do not pass“.
Confusing Signifier fixed by adding a second crosswalk
1.7. Ending Reflection
The theory about signifiers, affordance and conceptual model is new to me, so i tried to activily observe my surroundings. I am using the same path home from the u-bahn station for 4 years now, but i have seen things i haven’t seen before (like a sign which indicates a gathering spot for people – i even had to ask what the sign was for).