Usability is very wide spread concept that not enough designer pay attention to.
I am not only referring to software design, industrial design, or architect. Of course the concept is much more prominent in these profession now a days, but there are still life threatening design professions that still do not put enough emphasis on usability.
Case in point are the designers for the Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Yesterday an Airbus 320 ran off the runway killing all 189 people on board.
This airport is the busiest airport in Brazil with international flights on jumbo jets landing every few minutes.
Now they reports there had always been complaints fro airline pilots, claiming the runway to be too short for landing. These complaints suppose to have existed for years.
What I don't understand is how an international airport can operate for so long with such alledged defect.
The most surprising part of the accident, was the fact that everyone died. As many knows there had been many incidents where airliners ran off runways for various reasons. Including the incident in Hong Kong where the Chinese airline pilot ran off the runway of the old Kai Tak International Airport and crashed into the Victoria Harbour.
so why did these passengers die? That is because the plane ran into the airport's fuel tanks when it ran off the runway and burst into flames; with temperatures of over 1000C. Who in their right minds would put suchdangerous harzards at the end of a runway? Of course we do not expect planes will run off runways, but accidents will happen, and placing dangerous flamable fuel tanks at the end of a runway definitely did not take into account of usability.
Wow.... if you have NOW TV in Hong Kong, you can watch their Panda Channel on #503.
It currently has a repeat broadcast of Ying Ying and Le Le visit to Hong Kong's Ocean Park to join Hong Kong's pandas An An and Jia Jia.
Every time I'm in Starbucks I see many people using their notebook computer.
For some reasons almost all the people using Windows notebooks would have their AC adapter plugged into the wall outlets, where as the Mac users are usually on battery power.
For years Windows users had made fun of Macintosh computers not having enough battery life, and the 3 - 4 hours claimed by Apple are not enough.
On the left you will see another example, which I had always wanted to show my readers, but did not have the means to capture it in the past.
Don't you think that it should read, "Due to the low tide, please beware of the sloping ramp"?
If you are familiar with Hongkish you will notice that it is normally a direct literal translation from Chinese and usually the terminology is not polite.
This sign from the Star Ferry is no exception, but the funny thing is that the Chinese version of the sign IS polite, so why isn't the English version?
Lights (36) for long removed billboard in Causeway Bay
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