Personas

Introduction

The vending machine aims to provide users with quick and easy access to snacks and drinks.

Brown University hosts many vending machines. This analysis targets a machine sitting in Vartan Gregorian Quad (near Josiah’s dining hall) that contains food items.

The Interface

The vending machine’s interface facilitates user payment and delivery of an item from the machine to the user. This machine’s interface consists of:

A food display case
A panel across the bottom of the machine with a coin return and item drop box
A panel along the right side of the machine with selection and payment features
- Selection features: a BLUE selection screen; keypad
- Payment features: cash receiver, coin slot, BLUE selection screen, card reader (swipe bar and tap pad) with GREEN payment screen. Card reader (on student ID swipe) also accepts FLEX Points, a type of meal plan credit at Brown.

Keypad Closeup:

Observations

Summary

Many different payment types are used.
Payment confusion: Do you pay before or after selecting an item? How do FLEX Pts work?
2 screens is confusing and unnecessary.
Hard to read very small words.
Card reader is too low, the attached green screen is hard to read.

Interviews

Summary

User “flow” is not well documented. For example, it is not clear whether user should select item or pay first.
Two screens is “very confusing” and unnecessary. Users pay attention to one or the other, not both.
Low card reader is difficult to use and lessens machine “credibility”. Also spread too far from other payment features (like cash receiver/coin slot).
Needs more labels for all features and in bigger text.
Keypad buttons are not intuitive—users don’t know what they mean. Every user thought the “coin return” button had something to do with hand sanitation.

Personas

College Chandra

Is on her way (and late!) to art class. She isn’t responsible about eating lunch and is looking for a quick substitute. She is also carrying a lot of school supplies and is talking on the phone.

The Absent Minded Professor

Just finished a long day of research and teaching. He wants some skittles for the drive home. He is looking forward to relaxing with his family.

The Vending Machine

An Exercise in User Interface Analysis

Introduction

The Interface

Keypad Closeup:

Observations

Summary

Interviews

Summary

Personas

College Chandra

The Absent Minded Professor

Storyboard