Design Diary — Target Self-Checkout Registers 1
Appropriate instruction and incentives are great things for users to begin new things.
Background
You know that euphoric feeling when you walk into a Target store, and you instantly feel comfortable and ready to shop. However, the innovation of self-checkout registers in Target is meant to benefit customers by increasing efficiency. However, the self-checkout registers frustrated me many times. It is not comfortable for me to do self-service without any interaction with other human beings when I was new in a place. All things were unfamiliar to me and I needed some real-time communication to release my anxiety in the new shopping environment.
I went to Target for almost half a year until I found no one as a cashier, then I tried to self-checkout register for the first time.
“People form mental models through observation, immersive experience, and culture.” —— Alipta Ballav
Problems
Firstly, there are not enough instructions for me to guide me on how to use it. Both the companies and public seem to assume that as human beings, we customers are able to cope with the ever-changing self-service system, or willing to try it. However, people are usually afraid of new things and have to process registration by themselves without any assistance. Learning new things intrigue learning helplessness easily, which leads to negative emotion and reduces usage frequency.
Meanwhile, there is not enough incentive for me to overcome the learning helplessness. I just need normal familiar registration, sweet smile assistants and packing up assistance . However, all of them disappear in the self-checkout scenarios. What is the customers’ incentive to overcome unfamiliarity and automatic difficulties? As for positive examples as an incentive to begin a new service, Amazon has a special Prime Student membership discount, which makes users motivated to begin Prime membership.
Moreover, the Entrance and Exit always frustrated me. I often entered from the exit and out from the entrance. The designed shopping path usually opposite for me. The door near cashier entrance is a way to the campus.
Redesign
As for the instruction, there could be a painting instruction to describe and explain the whole process. Meanwhile, the market could encourage customers to do self-checkout to collect credits that can be changed to special gifts, such as digital devices.
References:
Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books.
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Self%E2%80%90Checkout-at-a-Store
