An object that I love is my Topo Designs Klettersack. I have been using this backpack for over three years almost everyday– to work, to travel, and on-the-go during the weekends. I was initially drawn to it for its mountaineer-inspired look, but fell in love for how its form is a product of its functional design.
The backpack has three main storage areas and there is visibility to each, their function revealed simply by looking at the object:
A “dopp kit” sized compartment has the only exterior facing zipper. This compartment is for smaller objects, but is deceptively large.
Two side pockets afford themselves to holding more portable, easy to access items while you’re on the go such as water bottles, umbrellas, and even my bike lock.
A large compartment comprises the rest of the backpack and is accessible by unclipping the “dopp kit”, flipping it over, and expanding the opening using a drawstring mechanism.
Drawstring and cinch closure opening
Nice red-colored accents on the zipper and drawstring contrast the dark tones of the bag and signify a means to access the contents of the bag. The drawstring is particularly fun and novel, and while this mechanism isn’t a common feature of many backpacks, physical constraints outline how it can be opened. Once the dopp kit is released via clips and flipped over (a less fun interaction), the cinch closure opening to the main compartment is revealed. A toggle runs down the drawstring which serves as a track, and loosens the opening.
Yellow interior is accented with black to signify other storage.
The inside of the bag of the bag is also unique as it bright yellow. However, this color serves as a feature to make objects easier for people to see. Typically the insides of bags are dark and individuals have to fumble around in order to obtain the desired object. The yellow sharply contrasts with most objects contained within. Additionally, there is consistency between the interior of the main container and the Dopp kit, which again signals that the color decision is intentional. Black accents amongst the yellow interior serve as signifiers for further storage inside this compartment– a laptop sleeve and a smaller compartment for items such as papers or pencils.
The klettersack with some exterior cargo
Further, items such as blankets or jackets can be fastened to the klettersack by placing the item in between the dopp kit and the rest of the bag, clipping it together, and tightening the straps. This is most definitely another novel feature, that I like to use when hiking outdoors or even taking a blanket to a park picnic in the city.
Object I Hate: 1960s Pentax Spotmatic (At least certain parts of it…)
I must caveat that I actually love my 1960s Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic from an aesthetic perspective (its form and also the ability to create beautiful pictures). However, I absolutely hate its lack of learnability and the breakdown that often occurs with the “film advance” mechanism. This is largely a problem of another era and due to limitations in technology during this time, but my love for vintage cameras causes me to put up with the frustration.
Admittedly when I first started using film cameras, my conceptual model of how they worked was built upon the currently more common digital understanding. In order to build a new conceptual model, I observed the object. Unfortunately visibility to the entire system when film is loaded is not available as most of the “advance mechanism” must be hidden behind a closed camera door so as to not expose the roll. I had to really observe the inside of the system before loading any film to understand how it operates. Learnability is clearly not valued by the designers here, and unless you have been taught how to do this by someone, it’s really not easy to figure out on first use.
Here’s what the user is supposed to know about how it works, but can only figure out once the camera is open:
A lever is the only visible part of the film advance mechanism
A film canister is loaded into a chamber, and film is spooled through the “advance mechanism”. A lever on the outside of the camera is used to advance a frame from the canister to be exposed to an image by the user pressing a button. The lever must be pulled again for the frame to be transported to a storage area. As pictures are taken, exposed frames sit in the storage area until the roll is respooled back into the canister to be developed.
Further frustration relates to the times when a breakdown in the system occurs– the advance mechanism sometimes gets misaligned with the film and does not advance the roll any further. In this case, two scenarios occur:
Feedback is provided signifying a breakdown through a physical constraint (the lever gets stuck). There is no way to fix this without opening the camera and exposing the film to light. This is directly in opposition to Don Norman’s attitude on errors, as it completely punishes the user for trying to fix the breakdown.
Faulty feedback is provided when the lever can be rotated but the film does not actually advance. In this way, the user doesn’t even know there was a breakdown.
In the end, it’s quite difficult to understand how to operate something when half the system is hidden to the user. Further, it’s a crapshoot whether the system works as intended or you end up exposing all your film.
