Video Recorders top List of Difficult Objects

Video recorders are the most difficult objects to use in the home, according to a User Vision survey of consumer frustration.

In a research study carried out by user-experience consultancy User Vision, setting the video to record and installing a child car seat were cited as the most popular sources of consumer frustration, followed by digital TV systems, digital cameras, washing machines, dishwashers and tin-openers.

The research asked 500 consumers to name the items in everyday life which they found most difficult to use. Difficult-to-open packaging appeared regularly in the research – particularly for such items as batteries, orange juice/milk, tinned corned beef, CDs and DVDs, razors, and Easter eggs. Adhesive tape was also a popular choice, with the inability to find the ‘end’ a major bug bear for several people.

In addition to car seats, several other children’s items fared badly on the usability stakes, including toy packaging, push chairs and non-disposable nappies. Domestic appliances such as central heating systems, digital alarm clocks and microwaves were also popular choices.

The research also revealed that the technology age is proving difficult for many to get to grips with. Handheld computers, PDA’s and all-in-one printing/copying machines came up regularly, as did several web sites – with online supermarkets and train company sites the most regularly criticised.

Chris Rourke, director of User Vision, said: 'While some of these items, video recorders for example, have been superseded by more advanced and more usable technology, the fact remains that millions of people still own one. It’s also interesting to note that the design of many of these items has not moved on in several years, and some of the poor interfaces have been inherited by relatively new innovations such as digital cameras and set-top boxes.'

The research was carried out in May 2005. The study asked a 500 cross-section of the UK public to rate, from a list of 40, the five items in everyday life which they find most difficult to use.

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