Comments on: “Just add an egg” – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy

By: Some links for light reading (16/03/10) | Max Design

Some links for light reading (16/03/10) | Max Design — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:26:29 +0000

[...] ‘Just add an egg’ – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy [...]

By: Gluue - A blog about work, life, and internet apps. By Paste Interactive

Gluue - A blog about work, life, and internet apps. By Paste Interactive — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:27:09 +0000

[...] “Old-school Usability espouses the idea that user activities are onerous tasks that they want to get out of the way as soon as possible. While this is true in some cases, usability is now widely understood to be more of a hygiene factor – something that can cause dissatisfaction if missing, but its presence cannot take you beyond lack of dissatisfaction.” – 90percentofeverything.com [...]

By: Harry Brignull

Harry Brignull — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:10:40 +0000

Hi Jethro, thanks for the pointer - I wasn't aware Don Norman referred to it in that book - which chapter? I'd love to know what he had to say about it back in the 80s. A quick Google of don norman + betty crocker turns up this recent article by Don in which he mentions it. To quote: "Adding an egg to a mix that didn't really need one makes use of the clever psychology, but it is not what I call being truly creative. The cake mix, with egg or without, is mindless. Read the instructions and follow them: everyone's mix produces the same result".

By: jethro larson

jethro larson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:57:57 +0000

This story was in Design of Everyday Things almost 20 years ago. Is that where you got it?

By: Interact Seattle » Blog Archive » User eXperience (UX) Digest #4

Interact Seattle » Blog Archive » User eXperience (UX) Digest #4 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:06:01 +0000

[...] "Just add an egg" – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy [...]

By: User eXperience (UX) Digest #4 « Chasing the Dream

User eXperience (UX) Digest #4 « Chasing the Dream — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:46:53 +0000

[...] "Just add an egg" – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy [...]

By: “Just add an egg” – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy | UX Booth

“Just add an egg” – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy | UX Booth — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:59:30 +0000

[...] add an egg” – Usability, User … Community Resource“Just add an egg” – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy [...]

By: DesignNotes by Michael Surtees » Blog Archive » Link Drop from October 26th to October 29th 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:43:57 +0000

[...] “Just add an egg” – Usability, User Experience and Dramaturgy [...]

By: David Gargiulo

David Gargiulo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:19:30 +0000

This story is a great example of what one may call post optimal usability.
In 2008 I completed a project exploring how tools and perspectives of ‘dramaturgy’ and theatre frameworks can possibly contribute to the design of meaningful products, and the narratives that unfold around their use.

My thesis may make for an interesting read for anyone interested in further exploring dramaturgy in product design, and can be found at:

http://www.coda.ac.nz/unitec_design_di/4

By: Ben Sauer

Ben Sauer — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:53:06 +0000

The story of the egg is told quite differently by Adam Curtis in ‘The Century of The Self’. Edward Bernays, the nephew if Sigmund Freud, was instrumental in bringing manipulation of unconscious desires into the commercial world.

Its a long but enlightening documentary about a hidden architect of the modern world, highly recommended:

http://is.gd/4u8a8

By: Harry Brignull

Harry Brignull — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:43:06 +0000

I’m inclined to agree to an extent- fresh eggs *are* going to taste better than powdered eggs. The idea that the improvement in taste was “beside the point” probably isn’t true. I think they took out the eggs both for taste reasons and because it gives the customers a nice illusion of mastery and creativity when they are making their cakes.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:58:40 +0000

I love the points that you draw from this story, but I’m rather skeptical about the story itself. There’s no doubt that this is the official story as told by Betty Crocker, but I think they’re not telling the whole truth.

When’s the last time a product manager or company ever had the intellectual integrity and, well, balls, simply to say: “you know what guys, our product just wasn’t good enough.”

Is it that hard to conceive that a cake made with fresh eggs might taste significantly better than one made from powdered eggs? And if that was the case, would the product managers over at good ol’ Betty Crocker have simply admitted that: “We need to figure out a way to make our cake mixes produce a better taking, fresher cake.” Or might they have been tempted to pass of the failure of their crappy-tasting product onto the vagaries of the consumer?

While I love how this story gets one to think about the “dramaturgical” appeal of a product, I think the psychological explanation for what happened with Betty Crocker’s cake mix to be sketchy at best.

- Jeff

By: GiGi

GiGi — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:46:49 +0000

As a lifelong Betty Crocker fan, I have admit I’ve thought the same thing about their products, although never in such a considered sociological way. I do feel like you’re actually making some semblance of home-made food and what’s more by being given that little bit of freedom I also feel I have more license to experiment or add extras. I end up feeling a bit like Nigella Lawson and less like a busy professional who can’t be bothered to bake from scratch. Anyway, very nice, tangible and delicious example of how to successfully design for ease around an experience rather than the other way around.

By: Todd Toler

Todd Toler — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:17:43 +0000

Interesting point, Harry. The role-playing point also brings to mind James Gee’s explanation of projected identity in video games. The egg helps bridge the gap between someone’s real identity and the virtual identity – which is why it’s such a design success.