We have a new coffee machine…I’m just not sure it will stay. Why am I writing about coffee machines? Cusinart’s redesign is a great illustration of how new versions can make products worse, not better.
Okay…here is our old coffee machine (sorry about the photos…they are quick and dirty from my cell phone):
Looks like a simple machine, and I will tell you what – it’s great. Independently Joe and Levi both acquired the same one for their homes…I am pretty sure this model was a blockbuster for Cuisinart.
Now a shot of our new machine from the side:
We switched machines because the new one keeps coffee hot for longer. That said, here’s my beef: why is the water gauge on the side? Think about it. Every pot you brew requires reading the gauge to see how much water you have poured in. Therefore, every time you use the thing you need to see that gauge. The gauge is on the side so if you have to reach around the machine to see as you pour. As a result you can’t put this product next to any other appliances or in a corner on your counter top…in fact you might have to physically pull it towards you - across a counter – to get it close enought to read every time you pour water in.
Now if that gauge was on the front, I would be happy. I am guessing that there was a certain aesthetic the design team was trying to achieve. Unfortunately they did not think about the usability (at least not as well as they might have). Since you use this gauge 100% of the time you brew coffee, it ought to be on the front “face” of the appliance. Function before form…this applies to web apps too.
When you add or remove an interface element in a web page, you have to ask yourself, “What percent of the time do people use this element?” If it’s more than 20% of the times users are on that page, that interface element needs to be prominent. If you have been successful with a version of your app (and I am guessing version one of the coffee machine was a block buster for Cusinart), it is vital that you keep “prominance” top of mind as you redesign your app from one version to the next…as the team at Cuisinart proves with a less than perfect redesign here.
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11:25 am
It’s interesting that you don’t mention where the water gauge in the old machine is. I have the same model, and agree that it is a fantastic machine and have recommended it many many times.
But the water gauge in the old model kind of sucks too. The gauge is inside the machine itself, which is an absolutely terrible spot. Anything below the 8 cup indicator is very difficult to see unless there is a light pointing directly into the machine itself.
Maybe it’s just that mine isn’t in as well-lit a location as yours, but it seems to me that having an external gauge is an improvement in usability. It’s not optimal, I agree the front is the best spot for that information, but from the pictures, it is better.
11:32 am
Rob great point. I omitted the gauge on the old machine because I don’t find anyone uses it. Instead they take the coffee pot iteself - which includes lined markings like a measuring cup - to the water source. There they fill it with the correct amount of water (very easy - even with over filling which the new set up handles poorly). Once full you can just pour it into the machine. In a nutshell I find the gauge is not necessary or relevant in the old design, where as it is mandatory in the new one (unless you start using a measuring cup, which if you ask me is an unrealistic expectation).
12:39 pm
The coffee pot from the new model doesn’t have the level indicators on it? An indicator on the carafe is probably as basic a design element for coffee makers as exists for coffee machines.
Definitely a bad decision.
1:07 pm
Here is the kicker…the new model does not even include a coffee pot! The idea is the coffee stays inside the machine to keep it as hot as possible (hot is why we upgraded) and you put your cup under the machine (where the pot normally goes), press a lever, and fill up one cup at a time. As I said, not sure it’s going to stay…
4:29 pm
Michael, I had the same observation as Rob and noticed that the old machine has no gauge at all - your second post makes this clear.
So what I get out of this is that while each individual design change (a: gauge outside, b: hotter coffee) is a good one, the sum of both is a detriment.
This problem can definitely be applied to software design as well. Someone at Cuisinart clearly did not see the big picture here…
4:35 pm
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