Scenario:
I lost my password for the demat trading site I use. My short term or long term memory failed me. Ok I give up and tried the ‘Forgot Password’ to help me out. And I see this.
I have 2 questions to the brazen designer/developer/ideator who came up with this…
1. What is a GRID?
2. Where will it be (if I already have it?)?
3. Have you read – ‘Don’t make me think’?
I gave up and wrote to the company asking them to help. Wearing the designer cap I thought about this quickly.
Key issues in this design:
1. Why are there radio buttons for each step? Because someone wanted to write a code that works for ‘EVERYONE’ under the planet without any context
2. Someone please define GRID and URN (Imagine my dad trying to sell his shares when the market opens…)
3. Track my password? Will it be sent by post and I have to follow the Fedex guys?
Quick Redesign Suggestions:
1. Forgetting a password is an old problem and it has simple direct solutions. Don’t reinvent the wheel unless you have strong reasons (user research data)
2. Users may be new to your site, not to the web. So follow the standard solutions (Security Questions -> reset password (or) Send new password to registered email)
3. If you still want to go with your method, follow a simple wizard and keep Step 1 as default selected. For users returning from Step 1 or 2, show a different page with the next step
4. Avoid technical jargons like URN and GRID.
I understand something like Share Trading has to be secured. Agreed. But it should not drive me nuts.
P.S. Selecting Step 1 and Clicking Submit threw me an error “Sorry We cannot solve this issue right now!” :O
