A Japanese ATM and a tiny lesson in design research.

My buddy Clinton who lives in Tokyo just sent me this:

He knows I work for a bank and like finding odd banking tech. I wasn’t sure what what he was on about and failing to interpret the Japanese screen. Then he added this comment:

WTF! There is a Casio calculator built into the face of the ATM. Looks just like one a kid would take to school.

Now, I admit, my first thought was “those crazy Japanese!”. When I was last in Japan the money technology all looked like it was futuristic when it was installed in 1990 and has never really been updated. It’s like a vintage vision of the future.

But a good design researcher should always assume that there is a reason behind the design choice. Even if it is out-dated or never really solved the problem there was a problem someone was trying to solve. Design research is all about truly uncovering and understanding mundane problems people have. This is the little exchange I had with Clinton:

And there it is.

Clinton’s problem is wanting know how much he can withdraw and leave enough for incoming expenses. He uses the little Casio and his memory to get it done.

This little insight could lead to a whole new way to solve the problem. For example if the bank knew Clinton’s likely upcoming bills and deposits it could do a quick calculation and give a suggested maximum withdrawal, or warn him if he tries to take out more. It might be a small thing, but could avoid lots of hassle down the track.

Now obviously this is just one example. But there is a larger point; when you are doing design research and see something weird make sure you discover the intent. You might just find a gem of a problem that’s worth solving.