Software vs hardware - an ergonomics issue

Bottom line here is: “No matter how well a platform is, the hardware can ruin it all.”

Merriam-Webster defines ergonomics as:

ergonomics

: an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely

Great numbers for Total Energies: one of the big 7 oil companies worldwide and ranked 21st on the list of the largest public companies in the world according to Forbes. So, what can a mere mortal like me do against this colossus? Nothing.. well, almost nothing. I can always drop a few lines to complain and exorcise my demons.

As you can see in the picture, my fellow reader, this is a perfect example of how hardware can ruin the user experience.

I’m not a giant (1,78cm), just a little above the average in the western Europe, so I couldn’t help to feel sorry for the many million people that have to bend over every single day to fill up their tanks.

I must say that the interface was technically well solved. Nothing out of the extraordinary of course, but effective.

The hardware, in this case, was the main reason to undermine a smooth experience in such a trivial action. (Oh, did I say the touchscreen was laggy as hell?)

So, to go back to the definition of ergonomics, there’s not science applied to solve this problem but the other way around. It’s the hardware - and it’s limitations - that condition the user’ behavior towards the interface.