A huge part of designing a good user interface is understanding the users and their mental models, and often times, it’s a complex undertaking. How does a software developer troubleshoot his problems? How does a woman choose a deodorant?
Matching the user’s mental models is cost of entry for an online interface. Frustration results when an application does not reflect the user’s expectations — but delight occurs when the experience surpasses those expectation.
My guess is that the folks behind Domino’s web experience enjoyed analyzing the real-world thought process of person ordering pizza.
The resulting online ordering system reflects a great understanding of users’ mental processes and adds value along the way – value that results in delighted users.
To me, the best part of the experience is its conclusion – real-time order tracking. As your pizza makes its way to your front door, you know exactly where it is. When my doorbell rang, I glanced down and saw that the full progress bar had turned red and the last segment was flashing.
You should check it out — with 2 medium pizzas for $5.99 each, it’s worth doing so. 
Do you know someone who was involved in designing this experience? Have you used mental models to design in the past?
See also
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.