While I design software for a living, it’s often the design of everyday physical objects which intrigues me the most. From ticket machines to toilets, every time I travel somewhere for the first time it always fascinates me to see the various way people have solved the same problems – for better or worse.

While globalisation has led to a certain degree of homogenisation, especially within smartphones, the Galápagos syndrome (ガラパゴス化) is still alive and well in Japan where everything has developed in its own unique way. Below are just a few examples which I’ve noticed day-to-day in Tokyo.

Train ticket machines

allows users to insert travel card in any orientation at any point during a transaction

accepts coins as fast as you can throw them in (multiple at once)

complex edge cases are designed-in rather than designed-out of the system

this is what happens if you press the help button (must be seen to be believed)

Train ticket gates

unlike other metro systems, gates remain open unless invalid ticket presented

designed with assumption of users honesty (they have paid) rather than deception

saves time and power/energy by requiring gates to close/open less often

also accepts multiple tickets at once for multi-legged journeys

Toilet controls

if sanitation is a sign of economic development then perhaps Japan has gone too far!

way too many buttons (over designed) & icon functions unclear/scary

most useful function (flush) not obvious to non-Japanese speakers

Restaurant ticket machines

most popular dishes usually shown as photos at top (easy for non-Japanese speakers)

side dishes and drinks shown as text below (lower priority)

allows small restaurants to run with minimal staff (1 -3 people often)

Fax machines

still heavily ingrained in business processes despite being a museum piece

sign of ageing population and “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” culture

perhaps a hand-written fax is more personal than an email?

ATM machines

after entering desired withdrawal amount you have to press 円 (yen) key rather than more obvious green ENT key

pressing 万 (10,000) or 千 (1,000) could result in undesired withdrawal amount

some ATMs adapt UI for foreign cards but buttons could still cause confusion

So what can we learn from all this?

Design for edge cases, rather than around them (when appropriate)

Trust your users (but not a loo with 27 buttons)

Use appropriate pictures & icons

Don’t count old tech out

Be language-neutral

Travel more!

Update: some interesting discussions going on about this on Reddit.

See Part 2 for more intriguing examples of how everyday objects in Japan are designed.