A tiring break

I had a real life exposure to ‘User experience is not limited to designing computer interfaces but also to physical spaces’

I had to visit a client’s office for a few weeks of brainstorming exercises. We were held in long discussions, so our breaks were supposed to rejuvenate us instead it tired us so much that taking a break has to be a planned activity.

This is the routine to have a glass of water and take tea

1. Take the glass near the coffee/tea machine
2. Walk down to the water cooler across the hall to get water
3. Walk to another corner to drop of the used glass
4. Walk back to the coffee/tea machine
5. Pick a tea bag, sugar, stirrer and fill milk in cup
6. Walk again across the hall to another corner to drop off the used tea bag and stirrer
7. By this time the tea has gone cold, move to another part of the cafeteria to find the microwave to reheat

By the time you are done with the rituals, you would have lost your interest in having the tea.

The cafeteria looked really cool, with fancy lightings, nice chairs and neatly tucked in service areas; but failed to be well usable. I wish every administrator or facility manager goes through The design of everyday things before setting out to create a public space.