If it's not broken, why fix it?

My regular post-lunch trip to the canteen today to get water was dampened some what (excuse the pun) by what greeted me on my arrival. The old water machine had been replaced by a new shinier & streamlined version of its predecessor.

I was at first, I have to say, impressed by the new dispenser. It caught my eye immediately and stood out with authority. However the problems began when I unscrewed the lid from my water bottle and bent down to get the water. I placed the neck of the bottle between my forefinger and middle finger and tried to press the button with my thumb.

The problems with the new machine

Problem the First: It was not possible to see where the water would be coming from, so i had to do some guess work as to where to position my bottle, before I pushed the big shiny button.

Problem the Second: The distance created between where i held the bottle and where my thumb needed to be to press the button was too great. As a result my hand became unsteady and the water by passed the nozzle of the bottle and, instead, took a detour onto my trouser leg via my wrist and arm.

Problem the third: The speed of the water coming from the dispenser was notably slower then that of the old one. This made the entire experience of holding a soaking wet, unsteady hand underneath a water nozzle that I could'nt see a little bit uncomfortable!! Not to mention the fact that my trouser leg was now a little bit too wet for my liking.

The whole experience left me thinking on the way back over to the office, “why did they get rid of the old one?”

In reality, it is a typical example of where style, flashy buttons and a curvy design prevailed over simple, honest, good usability.

What became of the old machine then?

So what had come of our beloved water machine that had suddenly disappeared? Well, after a little investigation work i was directed to the skip behind our offices and low and behold, there it was, sulking in the skip, having done nothing wrong whatsoever except try its best!