Category: Examples Blog
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GUIs Prevent Bad File Name Mistakes
Graphical user interfaces are all about mistake-proofing. Remember the DOS error message: Bad Command or File Name? It can’t happen when you point and click from a list.
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Will That Suitcase Fit into the Overhead Bin?
Delta’s “Size-Wise” devices are tubular metal frames used to check your carry-on bag. If your bag fits in the size-wise unit, it will fit in the overhead compartment. Ensuring your suitcase fits within the airline’s size restrictions using the sizing device at the airport is a critical step before boarding your flight. This measure is…
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Protecting Against Hot Water Scalding
Lots of scald protectors are available. They come in a variety of configurations. They close off the water flow if the water temperature becomes too hot. Plumbing devices and scald protectors are crucial in ensuring safety in residential and commercial buildings by mitigating the risk of burns from excessively hot water. These devices are designed…
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Checking for Prescription Interactions
CVS pharmacies offer free computer checking for drug and food interactions with prescriptions. Mark Graban: Instead of asking patients / customers to seek out this information, can the prescribing provider and / or the pharmacy check for drug interactions before the med is dispensed?
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Don’t Forget Your ATM Card!
New-generation ATMs perform transactions without the card leaving your hand (swiping). Chances of leaving your card in the machine: remote or impossible. Mark Graban: New “chip” ATM cards do leave your hand, since the ATM has to hold the card to read the chip. But, the mistake-proofing here is that you must retrieve your card…
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Protecting Kids From the School Bus
The school buses in my town have a wire loop mounted on the bumper, which swings out when the bus is unloading children. The loop forces children to go far enough in front of the bus that they are in the drivers field of vision, and not hidden by the hood (or bonnet if you’re…
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Not Putting a Tube in the Stomach Instead of the Lungs
Error: putting a tube into a patient’s stomach, which was intended for their lungs. Solution: Squeeze the plastic bulb and put it on the tube. If the bulb inflates, the tube is in the lungs. If not, an error has occurred.
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Squeezing Ketchup, Not Liquid
H.J. Heinz did their best to keep the watery liquid part of ketchup from soaking your bun. Their redesigned bottle lid had a little reservoir around the spout to catch the liquid. Product trials at my house revealed “performance issues” with this device. The concept is an interesting one. The problem with this solution was…
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Dental X-Ray Positioning
This device holds the dental x-ray film. The hoop is a guide for positioning the x-ray machine so the dental technician aims correctly every time.
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Make Sure the Frying Pan is Hot
The spot on this frying pan turns a solid red when the pan is hot enough for use. The spot gives a signal of the status of the pan’s temperature.