This year I left Brussels to the tourists and spent my summer vacation in Virginia and Washington, DC. I needed a well-deserved break from usability.

In August, I presented Usability Strategies for Intranet Web Site Design to the Washington DC Usability SIG. An important addition to the evening was Kathy Bine’s presentation about Intranet Accessibility and Section 508. We enjoyed the opportunity to speak to an enthusiastic and inquisitive audience. I thank Allen Rotz (Events Coordinator) for organizing the presentation, Carolyn Kelley Klinger (Chapter President) for the invitation, and the Washington DC Usability SIG for its hospitality!

During my visit I found many ways where improved design contributes to the user experience:

• The U.S. Postal Service’s Merrifield office provides customers with an electronic kiosk for frequent services such as weighing packages and letters, and purchasing postage stamps. I was impressed that users can choose either English or Spanish for the display.
• The Washington DC Metro (subway) provides efficient travel to business centers and tourist attractions. Tickets are sold from electronic kiosks, which offer a variety of fare payment options. Daily passengers know how to use these kiosks to purchase tickets. I observed that tourists were unfamiliar with the kiosks and confused by the travel choices and payment options. For this reason, station managers and attendants help tourists to buy tickets and answer questions.
• A major used car dealership provides kiosks that allow customers to search its inventory of cars. Customers can browse thousands of makes and models. The criteria are so specific (such as cost, mileage, and options) that it simplifies shopping for a used car.
• Many stores had optical recognition screens for payment card users to write their signatures. I have read about such payment devices, but never saw one up close.