Annoying beeping products
This post isn't related to web usability but it is related to usability in general. I have a microwave and a washing machine that can be very annoying. With each product, once my food is cooked or defrosted and once my washing is clean, the product makes a loud beeeeep noise. The noise from both machines are quite annoying and I cringe every time I hear them. I've tried disabling the noises but have found there is no way of doing it without unplugging the wire to the speaker which would involve opening the case and voiding my warranty.
Not only do these products make an annoying beeeeeep sound but they will continue to do it every couple of minutes until I either open the microwave door or turn off the washing machine. This makes me even more angry if I'm reading something important in another room of the house and my washing machine is beeeeeeeping at me every couple of minutes. I'm thinking, I heard you the first time, shut the hell up. But no, the machines just keep on beeeeeeeeeeeeping until I get up, walk over to the other end of the apartment and turn them off interrupting what I am doing.
I've sometimes even heard the next door neighbours washing machine beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeping every couple of minutes. I've realised that the neighbour is out and the noise just keeps repeating until they come home. This is even more annoying as I have no control over the sound and cannot turn it off without breaking into my neighbours apartment.
There is a simple rule when creating a product. Make sure it is courteous.
Let's pretend our washing is a person instead of a machine. The first thing the person would do would be to tell me the washing was done, it wouldn't make a stupid beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeping sound, the person would politely tell me my washing is clean. The person would then not repeatedly tell me the washing is done every couple of minutes as this is very rude. They would tell me once and then let me decide when to remove the clothes from the washine.
It's as simple as that. Pretend the machine that you are using is a courteous person who is not rude and does not bother you constantly. Once you think about a product this way, you will think about better ways to create them. The only thing that should beep every couple of minutes is the road runner.
