Item: Braun 8985 shaver heuristics

Item:  Braun 8985 shaver

Visibility of system status:  This shaver has little lights that notify the owner if the foil and cutter need to be replaced, if it’s full (of bits of hair), if it needs to be charged, and another with some mysterious function.  Plus the hum states plainly that it is operating.

Match between system and the real world:  Everything on the shaver is plainly evident by the labels.  Even the setting labeled “fix” – it’s what you use when you need to fix your sideburns.  No jargon on this thing.  The only words are:  Braun, reset, 8985, empty, charge, replace foil+cutter, trim, fix, on, off.  What’s not to get?

User control and freedom:  Fairly straightforward:  Turn it off.  There is one sliding control, so it is readily apparent what to do at any point.

Consistency and standards:  See the above entry.

Error prevention:  Again, see the above entry.  How complicated do you think a shaver _should_ be?

Recognition rather than recall:  This is a simple device, so there is no memory load at all, other than recognizing it for what it is.

Flexibility and efficiency of use:  It has no accelerators, just a three-position switch.

Aesthetic and minimalist design: The aesthetic is subjective, but I kind of like it.

Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors:  Errors or faults are indicated by the little lights on the body.  They clearly pronounce the deficiency as one or more of three possibilities.

Help and documentation:  The help documentation is hardcopy, but it does have an index for ease of locating pertinent information.  If you need help in operating a sliding-switch, you need more help than a shaver can provide (and should stay clear of sharp objects).

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