1) The document discusses how making a good sandwich is similar to designing usable software through an example of improving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 2) It outlines the requirements and limitations to consider, the importance of prototypes and research, and how to select features that work well together to meet user needs. 3) The improved sandwich design results from understanding limits, researching preferences, selecting compatible features, and arranging them in a usable way so that the final product fulfills needs and is a pleasure to consume, similar to well-designed software.

1. The UX of
Sandwiches
Suzi Shapiro 2018
How is Making a Great Sandwich
like Designing Usable Software

2. The
problem:
Hungry!
I need food,
but I need to leave
for a meeting
Fast
Portable

3. The
requirements:
1. Available in my kitchen
2. Filling and sustaining
3. Tastes good
4. Quick to prepare
5. I can carry it with me
& eat in the car

4. Idea
generation:
No matter
what we are
designing,
we think
about the new product
in terms of
what we already know.
What comes easily to mind?

5. My first idea
Sandwich
(Peanut butter & jelly)

6. Satisfaction of
Requirements:
Food that is Fast & Portable
Peanut protein
provides sustained
energy
Jelly improves
moistness and taste.
Quick and easy to
prepare – a knife and a
plate
Can carry to car in a
paper towel
I have
bread,
peanut
butter,
and jelly

7. Evaluation:
Is this
the best solution
to my problem?

8. Bread
The only bread I have is
a multigrain
that is not really appropriate
for sandwiches.
It is a bit dry and
prone to having large holes.

9. Peanut Butter
The peanut butter
is my favorite kind.
Simple -
Just peanuts and salt.

10. Jelly
Nice apricot jelly . . .
but the bread has so many holes
that I can’t get an even layer
over the entire sandwich

11. The Sandwich!
Some bites don’t have
enough bread.
Some have too much.
Holes have no jelly
or the jelly drips out.
It is dry &
it doesn’t go down easily.

12. Have you ever used a product like this?
Does it satisfy the need?
Yes, but . . .
Does this sound like some of the software you use?
It kind of works, but not very well.

13. Let’s put
some UX goodness
into this sandwich!
(Software?)

14. Review the
requirements:
1. Available in my kitchen
2. Filling and sustaining
3. Tastes good
4. Quick to prepare
5. I can carry it with me
& eat in the car
I may be missing
something important
if I think of the requirements
as a simple checklist.

15. Knowing the Limits
No matter
what the final product might be,
everything operates within limits.

16. For SOFTWARE
I may need to:
• Make my new product
compatible with an older
version.
• Make it look like or work like
another product.
• Use a programming
language which limits some
functions
or how the software looks.
• Design for a mobile device.

17. For a SANDWICH
I may need to:
• Find out what is available
• Take preferences and
allergies into account
• Assure that it is portable

18. Prototypes or Trial Designs
Sometimes it is OK to try something and fail.
I learned that PBJ sandwiches can be
dry & not very tasty
A bad PBJ is really not worth eating
(unless there is no other option)

19. Now I have a better idea
of what to look for
in my solution to the problem.
It isn’t just about meeting the need,
it is about meeting the need in a good way!
That sorry PBG sandwich?
Not worth it!

20. What is
Possible?
(What do I
have in my
refrigerator? )
• Ham
• Cheese
• Milk?
• Mustard?
• Mayo?
• What about
avocado?
This will spoil if
I don’t use it
soon.
• Something to
give it some
“crunch.”
Water
chestnuts?
Pickles?
• Any lettuce?
Nope.

21. The Benefit of Limits
Understanding your limits is important
when making a sandwich,
AND when designing software.

22. Research about People
Doing research
about the people who will eat the sandwich
(or use the software)
is essential
before trying to come up with
the design for the product.

23. Research
about
People
You need to know about the
people “consuming” the product.
Are they allergic to peanuts?
Do they eat wheat, meat, or . . .
Do they prefer reading or images?
Can they tell the difference
between red and green?
I can’t just build what I want
unless I am designing
ONLY for myself.

24. There is a difference
between sandwiches and software.
Most software is used by
more than one person,
and most of the people
using it
are not like the people
who designed
and developed it!.
When making a sandwich
for myself,
I know what the person
eating my sandwich likes,
because it is for me.

25. Lots of Options
Then we choose
what is important
for this product
and begin to find ways
to make these options
work well together.

26. The Container
Why do we need bread?
The bread is a container
for the other elements.
This is like the basic look and feel
of a software product.
Even an ugly web site
can work well
if the features meet needs
of the people using it.

27. The Features
We can just add
all the options,
but this is not
the best approach.
We need to think about
“why,”
“when,”
“where,” and
“how”
for each of the options.

28. Why sliced ham?
Meat first and last.
The meat provides the protein that will keep me
from getting hungry too soon.
(It fulfils one of the requirements.)
Ham, in my sandwich also functions as a barrier,
keeping the other components inside.
A needed software feature
implemented well
can make a big difference
in how well the final product works.

29. Mayo and then the pickles
The pickles are sliced thin & flat
& glued in with mayo
so that they don’t roll around.
(A feature may need to be in a different form)
In software, features should be designed
to work well with the other components.
There are functional reasons for their location &
shape or size.
Good products have features that
make the interface easier to use.

30. What about the avocado?
The thick avocado slices create lumps
on one side of the sandwich.
Sometimes a new software feature
gets added and it doesn’t really fit.
Rather than just accepting
the not-quite-useful format,
we should try to make all of the features
work well together.

31. Smaller chunks of avocado?
Better, but still too thick.
Kind of like that cool feature
that takes two menus
and five clicks to get to.

32. Mash it?
Not as pretty, but it stays in the sandwich,
adding avocado to every bite!
This consistency across the sandwich
– excuse me – the software,
can make it easier to use (eat).
There are fewer surprises,
because all parts work in a similar manner.

33. Last, but not least –
the cheese!
Putting the cheese on top of the avocado
makes it stick to the ham-and-avocado side
AND
this makes it easier to flip this side of the
sandwich without losing anything.
The right feature in the right place
makes many things easier.

34. The Result
A sandwich that is tasty & easy to eat.
Software that works well & is a
pleasure to use.
The final product fulfills needs
More value is added
with very little addition
Everyone is happier.