systems

Gaming the System

Checked in for a two-leg flight. Baggage fees for two bags total $100. Upgrading to First Class was $80 (total for both legs), which included two free checked bags. I suspect the pricing is generated by an algorithm (AI). There is limited demand for First Class, so the upgrade price remained low. Baggage fees are fixed and increase based on the number of checked bags.

What inconsistent messages does your enterprise communicate? Is it transactional (airline baggage fees), or is it subtle? Does your organization’s value proposition humor your members or create confusion in your community? Sometimes, our quirks are what give us depth and dimension. Other times, it keeps individuals from investing fully in our cause.

System Constraints

What is the constraint on your system? Where is your point of failure? Do you lack sufficient inputs? Is there not enough time? Are you not fast enough?

Once our system reaches a significant constraint, it fails to grow. We can accept the failure as a ceiling or retool and evaluate options to circumvent the constraint.

How we handle constraints and respond to system failures adds depth and dimension to our work.

Not As Planned

Despite a simple design, the package label was affixed to the box in the wrong corner. The parcel arrived and no delays were encountered. However, the designers must wonder what they need to do to achieve a higher level of compliance.

What systems have we established that appear straightforward and yet the plurality of users fail to follow the instructions? What works but not as designed? Is it worth redesigning or living with individuals struggling to follow the instructions? How many people wander down the ‘do not enter’ entrance, take photos of the protected artwork, reply to unmonitored email addresses, make contributions without designating their intentions, or ask questions before the Q&A session? Nothing was broken but the system grinds a little louder.