Changing diapers and the UX revelation that came with it
A software developer learns a valuable User Experience lesson while changing his daughter’s diapers in the middle of the night.
Four months ago, I became the proud father of a beautiful baby named June. Her and I get along famously: I strap her into a baby carrier to go for walks; I feed her a bottle when she demands it; and, I play for her all the best music, as determined by me and my exquisite taste. When she’s tired, I put her in her crib, and when she’s “filled her pants”, I change her diaper. It’s all part of the experience and I like to think I’ve taken them on with grace and poise.
That is, unless it’s 3AM and my sweet darling angel awakens with something on her mind.
Presented with a similar moment in broad daylight — at the peak of my awakeness — I operate like an octopus simultaneously opening 8 jars of jam. But in the middle of the night, with the lights dim, my glasses off, and my little apple dumpling screaming her angelic cries for…something…I operate like a warthog tromping around without its glasses on.
When I go to help June, I have a standard night time approach: pick her up, feed her, burp her and, if she’s still doing her little dances of discomfort, I go to change her diaper.
This is the moment when I had my UX revelation.
I typically have two different diaper brands in circulation, each with their own design printed on its exterior:
- Brand A has one graphic, located only on the front of the diaper;
- Brand B has graphics on the front and back of the diaper and text on the front and back that read “front” and “back.”
I never thought I’d notice or care about the design of diapers, but I guess I was warned by my elders that “kids will change you.” I get it now.
When it’s 3AM and I’m trying to get June back to sleep, I’m looking for efficiency, clarity and intuitiveness. When I grab a diaper, I want to spend no time figuring out the diaper’s orientation. I want to glance, understand, adjust and implement.
When I grab Brand A, I know that if I see a graphic, I am looking at the diaper’s front and if I see no graphic, I’m looking at the diaper’s back.
With Brand B, I have to work harder. I have to first locate the text on the diaper, read that text and let my brain realize “this says b-a-c-k…this is the back.”
That took time!!
It took enough time for June to release another scream and for me to feel a pang of frustration.
Listen, I know that reading “front” and “back” is not completely exhausting, but you have to remember, I am a warthog without glasses in this moment and everything just feels a little more difficult.
When I entered fatherhood, I expected to have some revelations about myself, family, and life as a whole. I’ll admit that I’m surprised to also have had a UX revelation as well.
Sometimes users are tired, stressed and just wanting to use a product with as minimal friction as possible. If you can explain something through visual or interactive cues, rather than through language, you might just be bringing some well appreciated calmness to a user’s life.
Check out Can’t Unsee, a fun game that teaches you common best practices in user experience design.
