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The scene opens as Mr. Usability sits and watches TV on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Enter Wife holding a red and white envelope strewn with the familiar Netflix logo. The paper appears tattered and worn, with a tear that almost splits the envelope in half.

Wife: You really did a number on this envelope. That’s not how you’re supposed to open it. We have to mail this movie back, you know.

Mr. Usability: Oh, yeah. I did that without even thinking. I don’t think I read it correctly.

Wife: Read it correctly? It doesn’t look like you read it at all. Otherwise you’d know how to open it.

Mr. Usability: Well, by read I meant interpret. I interpreted the affordance of the envelope to have a certain kind of use. Studies show that people don’t read instructions. That package design definitely has some usability issues. I should write those people a letter.

Wife: Yeah, well, you’re head has usability issues. I’m going to write you letter.

End scene.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 7th, 2007 at 7:50 pm and is filed under design, schin-zingers, usability, user experience. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.