[IxDA Discuss] ATM interaction design

[Will Parker]

On May 14, 2007, at 6:03 AM, Kurt Morris wrote:
>
> 1) Some ATMs produce a receipt the same size as a dollar bill,  
> which is
> also the same size as a standard check. Makes it easy to put the  
> receipt
> in one's wallet or checkbook. There are many, however, that have odd,
> non-standard sized receipts, requiring origami skills to fit into the
> same wallet or checkbook. I can see no good reason that receipt sizes
> are not standardized.

I can see several reasons for lack of standardized sizes based on  
engineering constraints, such as available space for paper+mechanism,  
expected time between consumable refills, etc, but admittedly, few  
reasons that derive from usability.

> 2) Most ATMs I encounter have slightly tilted screens with buttons on
> the casing that are meant to be aligned with text or instructions
> on-screen. I'm 6 feet tall and find that many times I have to crouch
> down to see which button aligns with which text. Touchscreens, of
> course, don't pose this problem.

It doesn't require off-axis viewing to get confused by ATM displays  
(although I'm sure that it helps). I get the impression that non- 
touchscreen ATM GUIs are written to rather vague specs, along the  
lines of 'there shall be one column of four menu choices along the  
right side, with pointers to the four adjacent buttons'. I've seen  
many an ATM interface where there is little or no alignment between  
the on-screen choices and the hardware buttons.

- Will

Will Parker
wparker at ChannelingDesign.com

"The only people who value your specialist knowledge are the ones who  
already have it." - William Tozier