How user-friendly is the Waterpik?
One sunny August morning, I discovered that I had yet another cavity! Defeated, I asked my dentist what I was doing wrong. “I floss every day and brush twice a day. Do you have any additional tips?” My dentist grinned understandingly and showed me a video of a machine I have never seen before. It was at this moment that the Waterpik entered my life.
You may have seen the commercials, but for those who aren’t acquainted — “A Waterpik is a brand of water flosser or an oral irrigator that sprays water to remove food from between your teeth.” (source)
After almost two months of using the Waterpik at least twice every day, I feel well-equipped to analyze its usability.
Is it learnable?
There is natural mapping on the handle that mimics a toothbrush. When I push the pressure control switch up, the water pressure naturally increases. The vertical circle labels of various sizes are affordances that tell me that the further I move up the pressure switch, the stronger the force.
Oh — the Waterpik also makes a sound reminiscent of an angry motor truck when activated, so the feedback it gives to the user is loud and clear.
Is it efficient?
As you spray the water across your gum line, you can efficiently rotate the handle to reach all areas with ease. There is also a button on the handle that “pauses” the water when pressed. No need to turn the Waterpik on and off!
Is it memorable?
It was a bit of a learning curve to perfect the steps until they felt intuitive. For example, I couldn’t figure out how to stick the tip into the handle. Even after the first successful time, I had to ask my mom for help.
Is it error-prone?
During my first time using the Waterpik, I felt like I was handling a water gun. Water got everywhere. I did see it coming, though, thanks to customer reviews and Youtube videos.
Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with my Waterpik. For a tool that is responsible for an intricate task, the design is very minimalistic and straightforward. I recommended it to my friend, and she ended up buying one too. Once again, I’m in awe of the talent of designers!
Source:
10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design (Jakob Nielsen)
