Check your design

I used a newly renovated bathroom yesterday. It was clean and the finishes were beautiful … but a few things were not quite right.

The toilet seat was loose. The sink was not affixed to its base. The faucet was low, making it awkward to wash hands. The towel bar was high and nearly out of reach.

While the design was picture-perfect, the functionality was lacking.

This seems like an example of someone doing the hard work of building something, but not doing the easy work of using it — checking to see that it all works properly. Leaving the role of designer and adopting the role of user.

Design. Build. Test. Adjust if necessary.

If we’re not testing, we’re doing a disservice to those we seek to serve.