Assignment 0 - The Bad Design

The bad design that I would like to point out is the layout of a video camcorder that I owned. It is the Canon MVX 350i. All these feedback are given by myself (as the main user) and my friends (whom I lend to)

There are 3 major design flaws (at least from a user's perspective) that would hinder speed in usage.

Design Flaw #1 - The record button

Look at the following pictures and identify the record button.

Well, if you're looking for something red... you won't be able to find it because the record button isn't red. But, why is our natural instinct telling us to look for something red? This is because most products with recording function has its record button colored red. If you're a first time user, you might have difficulty locating the button (as many of my friends who borrowed from me did). Anyway the record button is the one nearest to the thumb when you hold the camera.

"User friendly" it may seems as the record button is placed next to the user's thumb. However it is the obvious button (index finger) that confused the user. This is because the button position resembles a typical camera snapshot button. I have friends who called me in the middle of the event that they're shooting to ask me about the record button. Just a simple color to the button complicates the entire design.

Design Flaw #2 - The clock battery and SD card compartment

Initially I had a hard time trying to locate the SD card compartment. However, it is quite obvious after you open the LCD lid. It is located at the bottom of the camcorder.

There is a label indicating the direction to open the lid and take out the SD card. However, I accidentally discovered the clock battery compartment on the left.

There is no indication or what so ever on that compartment. So if one day my clock were to keep resetting, I wouldn't know what went wrong unless I read the manual (if a product is well-designed, who needs the manual anyway). My friend did call me to ask where to locate the SD card so that he can use his card.

The bad thing about this design is that the LCD lid needs to be opened in order to swap the SD card or change the battery. There is no easy access to the compartment to swap the cards.

Design Flaw #3 - Battery Cradle

Changing battery seem easy and natural without one knowing anything wrong with the process. I'm suppose to press the battery release button and lift up the battery to release the battery. However, the viewfinder blocked the lifting of the battery.

As such, I have to lift up the viewfinder before lifting and releasing the battery.

After releasing the battery, I have to push back the viewfinder after attaching back the battery to keep it in the bag. This is to ensure the viewfinder doesn't get damaged. Imagine the hassle of lifting up and lifting down the viewfinder each time you change the battery. This could cause the mechanism to get fatigue and damaged.

My friends who used this Canon product has expressed their concern over the reputation of the brand. Canon is supposed to be one of the leading brand in camcorders and cameras (FASS owns a few of them). Product design that focuses on user experience seems lacking. While a product could be packed with features, it is still a useless product if users have bad experience with the product.