What Zune does the caged bird sing?

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to participate in my first Microsoft usability study. It was focused on two upcoming accessories to their Zune player which I had to figure out how to set up and then was asked how I could improve the product and instructions. The first half took place in a fishbowl room while I tried to hook one of the accessories up to a tele as the engineer took notes and asked questions from the other side of a one-way mirror. Given that I have been television free for a year and a half and even when I did have one, it was 10-12 years old, I had the most awkward, embarrassment of a time trying to figure out which holes to put the connection into. Why does a modern television need 3-4 different input points?? I swear, sometimes modern tech is just so much pearls on a swine.

It was so much fun to actually voice those thoughts that always bounce around my head about the way things are designed.

“Are those buttons big enough? Is it a problem that they are so flush with the mount? Could they make an audible noise when pressed?” Etc.

And although I’m really starting to wonder if Microsoft has hired every androgynous female that they can, I almost asked her “how did you get this awesome job?”