Apple Stores' Buttonless Elevators

Here we have another literally unpressable button - this time, it's unpressable because... it doesn't exist. Apparently, multi-story Apple Stores have elevators with no buttons at all - they simply go up and down, stopping at every floor. This certainly helps accomplish a clean visual design, and is a bold battle won in Steve Jobs' war against buttons.

But what does it do for usability? It could be frustrating, since the user will start by looking for a button that will never be found. Then once the reality is understood, it may take a bit longer to get where you're going than in a button-studded version. But, Apple Stores are places to browse and explore in the first place - something which is in the interest of both the consumer and the retailer. If you stop on a floor you never would have discovered otherwise, and end up finding something you like... well, this no-button thing might not be such a pain after all.

Cereal Bowl Features Slow-Release Milk

There were some people who objected to a previously-posted baking pan design promising all-edge brownies - okay, that's fair, some folks like the center ones. But who likes soggy cereal?? Didn't think so. That's why I expect this design, the EatMeCrunchy cereal bowl, will be a bit more popular. A separate chamber keeps the milk away from the cereal except for a small "mixing area," so you just soak a biteful at a time. Very, very, very nice. [via Gizmodo]

Phone Fingers - Shameless opportunism made even uglier...

The iPhone is a hot product these days, no doubt about it. So what's the best way to obliterate the cool-cred gained by having the sweetest pocket rig on the market? Phone Fingers should do it. Basically, small condoms for your digits (yes, you even "unroll" them onto your unlucky fingers), these supposedly prevent fingerprints and smudges from accumulating on your iPhone screen. Hmm. Here are the first of maaany problems I can see:

1. Smudging isn't that much of a problem on the iPhone - it's something that had been worried about prior to its release, but which turned out to really be a non-issue.

2. Latex will tend to have a "grippy" friction against the iPhone's screen, which will impede important interactions such as sliding, scrolling, dragging, and pinching.

3. The product defeats itself: it exists to keep your iPhone looking good, but in fact only makes you, your iPhone, and everything it touches horribly, painfully uncool.

So, why do these things even exist? It's shameless opportunism, riding on the hype of a true phenomenon: if it says "iPhone," these days somebody is gonna buy it!

Uglification to Deter Theft: Functional, but less satisfying?

Make Magazine has an interesting method to deter bike theft: uglify it! They offer step-by-step instructions for how to make a bike look decrepit but still work like new.

But here's where we witness the blurred line between form and function: though it make work fine in every functional way, an ugly bike just isn't as satisfying. You can't show it off; you don't get that "wow" feeling when you yourself look at it. Much like the previously-posted scratched putter, it messes with your mood and your overall state of mind. Sure, it won't get stolen - but it might not steal your heart anymore, either!

Nose-Notched Wine Glasses - Underdelivering on hype...

Sometimes a small design feature masquerades as a World-Changing Innovation - and I think we've got a case of such a delusion of grandeur in Silhouette wine glasses (via Gizmodo). A simple recess in the rim of the glass allows the oenophilic schnoz to get closer to the wine - and yeah, that's about it. Is this a problem in need of a solution, or a solution searching desperately for a problem? My money's on the latter.

And speaking of money, $54 per glass? No doubt another case of the product trying to bill itself as high-end. (Of course, the "regular" price is $78... sheesh.) Finally, check out the website URL; I'm afraid it's a stretch to claim that a nose-notch makes this the "greatestwineglass.com" of all...

"Photoshoot In Progress" - Making the best of it...

Passing the Restoration Hardware store in Palo Alto a few weeks back, I noticed this sign. Pretty simple, but also fairly ingenious - and here's why:

The store has to be closed for the photoshoot, that's a given. A basic sign would just inform potential customer that the store is "temporarily closed" - leaving them disappointed, even frustrated. But this sign actually adds value by pointing out that "this location has been selected as a model," and to "enjoy the preview" of how all stores will look for the upcoming season! Magically, those potential customers no longer feel inconvenienced - they feel lucky to have access to such a special Restoration Hardware location. And if the sign has really done its job, they can't wait to come back...

Mouse Cursors and Text - How the tiniest things matter...

The very smallest details of a user's experience can add up to make a significant difference in the effectiveness of (or satisfaction with) any product. Here, we'll look at the eensy weensy issue of the mouse cursor while typing. In many cases, a computer user will have clicked a location where he intends to begin typing; the problem is that this leaves the cursor hanging out and blocking a clear view of the text right in the area where he's typing. That little text-bracket cursor, especially with a snazzy drop-shadow effect, can definitely block out a letter or two. The impact? The user takes the additional second or two to reach over to the mouse, send the cursor packing, and return his hands to the keyboard. Sure, it's a tiny bit of time, but many times throughout the day, and they add up! Also, it's possible that that little interruption can throw the mental train off track - especially when the "working" state of mind is particularly fragile and vulnerable to distractions.

To address this tiny problem, there's some tiny software: MouseAway (via Lifehacker), shown in action in the animation above. It's the kind of third-party fix that operating system designers should look to for inspiration for their future versions - to make them just a tiny bit better.

And hey, we've hit a milestone - this is Unpressable Buttons' 100th Post! Coming soon, a rant on the problems I (may have) had with the design of champagne bottles and corks...?