Of User Experiences and Banking

I bank with the Toronto Dominion, their close, they have branches all over the place and they do the things I need them to do. Most of my interaction with them is through the web or through their bank machines. I quite like the web banking experience, the UI and the speed are good. The design is a nice balance of functional and esthetically pleasing.

Now, over the years the TD "Green Machine" (as they call their ATM service/machines) has gone through various incarnations, as has it's UI. In many ways, walking into a TD branch to use the ATM was a bit of a crap shoot, you never knew what machine or UI you were going to get, nor which Recently though they've started the process of consolidation to one standard machine and UI.

On their site they have a whole section on it, how it's better! faster! more! WOW! etc.

Now, me, I hate it. Hate is usually a pretty strong word for some design, but it offends me at a near cellular level.

It used to be the process was: Insert card, choose language on some machines [button 1], enter pin [4 buttons], choose what you want to do [1 button], choose account [1 button] and then enter amount [# of buttons dependent on how much you need/have], then ok.

So a max of 10 - 12 buttons.

Now it's: insert card, the language comes up from your account [-1], enter pin[4], choose what you want to do [1], choose account [1] and, if you're depositing, limber up your fingers for a fun filled fiesta of button pushing [10].

I'm not sure it's actually 10, but it feels like it. You input the amount of the first item (because there is now a list) you are depositing and, if you're done you enter ok (if you have more you enter more), both of these represent a button push, then you are asked if you meant it. Then you are asked if you are ready. Then ou are asked if your brain is still functioning.. then you are asked if you want a reciept and then you are asked if you're done....

The thing that really bugs me, besides the obvious extra button pushing is the long pauses that happen between and after each choice. For someone who works on a computer every day I interpret this pause as either a) crap hardware or b) the machine is about to crash. I'm going to guess that it's meant as a time to reflect on your choices or it's meant to not make you feel rushed or some BS. For me it offers me a chance to take deep breaths. So that I don't assault the machine.

I wondered if the whole idea was to make it easier for older/less geeky users to get their money etc. So I asked my Dad what he thought. This is a man who, rather than memorizing how to save Word docs with a new name memorizes what each Untitled document is. This is a man who periodically boots into DOS to run Lotus 123. This is, in other words, the über anti-geek.

So, being very careful not to offend him and suggest that he is anything less than youthful, I asked him how he liked the new machines. It turns out, based on what I extracted from the profanity laced response he gave, that he hates them as much as I do.

So who are they for?

An aside, I find it interesting that Diebold, the manufacture of this machine, can make an annoyingly idiot proof ATM, but can't seem to make a decent voting system.

Prepare to have your Cuteseptors overloaded

So we got a new little housemate, which Lucas named Metro.

She arrived today and when everyone else was napping (and I was on new kitten duty) she fell asleep in my arms.

Holy crap we're in trouble

Look, he's 3. That means that a certain amount of tomfoolery is expected. But Lucas seems to be charting a new course of tomfoolery. One that makes me think that we've a lifetime of staying on our toes to look forward to.

The other morning I go off downstairs to make the coffee, Chris takes her shower, and Lucas is asleep. So I take the monitor with me, plug it in and go on about my business. After her shower Chris goes to get him and I get to hear a very amusing radio show via the monitor.

Lucas: I'm cold (with the covers up over his head).
Chris: We'll let's get you dressed in a sweatshirt. (pulling the covers down)
Chris: WTF?
Lucas: giggle giggle

At some point during the night he'd taken his pj top partially off, rotated it so it was back to front, gotten one sleeve back on and then fallen asleep.

This morning during breakfast he wanted juice. So, mouth full of Peanut buttered toast, he asked. We told him that he can't talk with his mouth full, that it's rude.

So he takes the toast and jams it all into one cheek and points to the now empty side and says "But I can talk out this side because it's empty."

We're screwed.