While talking with my grandmother recently about the new trash can my aunt had purchased for her, I had a flashback to being 12 years old when the old trash can was purchased. I remember that my grandfather was going to buy a new trash can and decided to take me along. While at the store we had a couple of options. One was like their current trash can in that it had a lid and could fit a regular size trash bag. The other had a lid and could fit a regular size trash bag, but had a foot pedal. I had noticed that my grandparents would have to open the lid with one hand while throwing away trash with the other. Sometimes this was a problem because some trash required two hands. I told my grandfather of this issue I had observed and told him that the foot pedal would solve the problem. He agreed and took it home.

It took them about 1 year before they finally made the foot pedal a permanent habit. I believe this was because they didn’t know they had a problem in the first place. The lifting of the lid with one hand didn’t seem to bother them. I was the one that pointed out that they had a problem and that there was a more efficient method. In the store my grandfather agreed with me and saw the value of the foot pedal, but that didn’t immediately translate into using it. Over time whenever I visited and noticed the weren’t using the pedal I would remind them it was there and about how much easier it would be. Every time they used it they saw how much easier it was and did not deny its value, even still they had old habits to break. If they had been frustrated by the previous method and were being prevented from properly throwing away the trash then they may have switched more easily.

As an interaction designer it is my responsibility to observe people and find those places where they struggle so I can improve them. Many times users say to me, ” Yeah this is so easy, look you just click here, wait 10 minutes and then go back and hit refresh….”.  Meanwhile I am watching them jump through hoops to get anything done. So how do we help users adopt new methods that make their lives easier even if they have not realized they have a problem?

For starters we may need to consider reinforcing the new method when we see them go for the old one, like I had reminded my grandparents every time they threw something away. We need to find a way to establish the new habit without preventing them from using their current practice thus giving them time to transition. If we prevented them from using the old method right away they would be upset seeing as they didn’t know they had a problem in the first place. Once the new method is a habit and the value is obvious nothing less will be acceptable.