Just recently I was in a quandry over the fact that my Timex Ironman Triathlon watch mysteriously started sounding an alarm every hour on the hour. Distraut and having no idea what I did with the instruction manual I, of course, did the next best thing. I took it off and chucked it at the person who bought it for me and begged him to make it stop. "What did you do?", he asked. I gave him a look that let him know I had no idea and was in no mood to be questioned further. After a few seconds of pushing any number of button combinations all was well again! Needless to say, I could relate to this reading assignment. Particulary the idea that "whenever the number of possible actions exceeds the number of controls, there is apt to be difficulty".

I found this article to be informative as well as relatable. One of the most important concepts that I noted time and time again while reading was the design principal of visibility. The following are a few statements that I found to be particularly noteworthy:

1. The correct parts must be visible, and they must convey the correct message.
2. Visibility indicates the mapping between intended actions and actual operations.
3. It is the lack of visibility that makes so many computer-controlled devices so difficult to operate.

I also found the discussion of a "good conceptual model" helpful. I believe the following to be concepts to keep in mind while designing:

1. A good conceptual design allows us to predict the effects of our actions.
2. For everyday things, conceptual models need not be very complex.
3. There is no need to understand the underlying physics or chemistry of each device we own, simply the relationship between the controls and the outcomes.

Pure procrastination and lacking ideas on how I was going to summarize this response prompted me to do a little net surfing. After logging on I was struck with an epiphany. "Why don't I check out the Timex web page. Maybe I could find a gif. of my watch to include with this response! Now, that would be cool! Dr. Sponder will love this!" Not only did I find said gif. and a new watch that is a "must have". I found, low and behold, "watch instructions". Who knew?

I would like to take the time now to inform you, that Timex is currently boasting, on their web site, that "through a variety of well-designed products" they are providing the general public "with helpful innovations that make" our lives "simpler." Intriged and interested by this statement, I probed further. Timex now has a new line of "i-Control" watches. They claim that these watches are "the biggest news in watches" since their introduction of Indiglo nightlights. These "new" watches have setting systems that "make operating digital watches faster and simpler." Okay, now they really had my attention! Let me now end your suspense. Do you know the saying: "Everything old is new again." Well, these new "i-Control" watches are a combination of digital meets analog. Have we gone so far that we are now back to where we began? I guess these "new" watches only further prove the belief that "everyday things need not be very complex."