Ever tried entering a password on a smart TV? It’s like writing a novel with an Etch-a-Sketch!


That’s the kind of clunky design process we’ve all experienced. It’s frustrating, slow, and makes you wonder why technology – meant to make life easier – can sometimes feel so hard to use.

I had my own “aha!” moment about bad processes during a visit to a clinic for vaccinations. While we were busy answering questions, my young son was staring at a tray of needles – a lot of them. Unsurprisingly, he got upset, nearly fainted, and the whole experience turned into a stress-filled ordeal.

It didn’t have to be that way. If we’d been able to enter all our details at home, it would’ve saved time, reduced stress, and made the process smoother for everyone. Not to mention a better use of a busy clinician’s time!

great processes just work 🙃

And that’s the point – great processes just work. They sit in the background, quietly doing their job so you can focus on what matters. Think about Google. You don’t think of it as “technology”; you just Google something. Your phone camera? Snap a photo – it works.

The problem comes when processes aren’t designed with the user in mind. They’re clunky, frustrating, and full of unnecessary steps that make you painfully aware of the tech you’re using. Worse still, different users often have different needs. A clinician, for example, doesn’t need the same experience as a patient or an accountant reviewing sales data.

The best systems account for this. They’re simple, empathetic, and tailored to the people using them. That’s the standard we should aim for: processes that are so seamless, you barely notice the technology behind them.

Do you barely notice the technology?

What’s a piece of technology or a process you love 😍 because it “just works”? And what’s one you hate 😡 because it doesn’t?