The product I will be evaluating against the 10 heuristics is Philips Sonicare tooth brush.
Visibility of system status
The tooth brush is a very simple product there is only two buttons. One is to turn it on, and the other is to switch the style of cleaning that you would like. The visibly of what you are selecting is very clear because the style that you choose is clearly lit.
Match between system and real world
The set up is very simple there is one button that controls the styles is pressed like a remote and jumps to the next style one after another.
User Control and freedom
This product has great user control because the tooth brush has different styles of use for example, the choices are clean, gum care, refresh, sensitive, and massage. The user can clearly choose whatever cleaning method they would like to use.
Consistency and standards
The consistency of the words used for the method of cleaning can be a little confusing because, the user may be confused on what they mean when they say “refresh” or “gum care”. But on the other hand the head piece for this model tooth brush should have different sizes but they all fit on one base.
Error Prevention
I have been using this tooth brush for the past 4 months and I have not had any problems with this product. It works great and lets me know when the battery is low because there is a battery bar on the bottom which clearly states the level the battery is in.
Recognition rather than recall
This system is very clear on how it works you push the on button and select the cleaning method that you like. It does have a user recognition in a way because after your using it and the next time then the next time you use it, it remembers that last cleaning method you have used which is a pretty nice feature.
Flexibility
I believe that a beginning user and an experienced user with both have they are pretty even and that the product is so simple to use that the user would become a so called “expert” in no time. Anyone can use this product.
Aesthetic and minimalist design
Everything the Sonicare tooth brush is needed there is no extra information on the product. When the product is off there is no clear visibility of any text. This product once again is very simple to use.
Helps users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
I have never faced any errors using this product. Low battery bar may help diagnose a low battery.
Help and documentation
The manual is very clear in step to step usage. They even have images in each step to clearly illustrate what to do. They also have instructions in 3 different languages, English, Spanish, and French.
October 26, 2009 at 2:24 pm |
I had a sonic care brush about seven or eight years ago. I remember I like how effective it was in its basic job of cleaning my teeth. I never had and mechanical problems, but that is good to know the manual haw visual aides. Never had to contact the company about issue I could not resolve myself. I would also imagine that the product is universal in its design across the world. The issues I had, which eventually led to my “dropping” the product are a lack of design for disabled usage. My left hand is handicapped, and I cannot use the sonic care, because I cannot hold and control the brush at the same time (I have this same issue with my current tooth brush). The other problem I had, was whenever I had to replace the brush head. Either the old head would not “pop” off, or the new brush head would not “snap” into place. This would force me to either consult my tools, or just outright buy a new one. Quite possibly design mapping has led the brush to evolve a newer better more user friendly version.
October 31, 2009 at 5:19 am |
Hi Brian,
I was interested in this product review because my Oral B basically has on and off. It is a very good tooth brush, but I had no idea that Sonicare had so much more to offer. The choices “are clean, gum care, refresh, sensitive, and massage” was very interesting to know and indicates a need for me to re-consider the quality of my brush. Honestly, do I need more options? Am I getting a fine job done with what I have? Are the extras truly a value that should be considered or a marketing ploy? I can certainly see where reading the packages of what each electric tooth brush offers these options would seem to be an important plus.
November 2, 2009 at 5:28 am |
I agree with you that the sonic care brush is simple and easy to use. I have been using this automatic tooth brush about seven years and I having two main problems. First, somehow water got into the part and the water went bad and there’s no way to figure it out that there’s water until I open it. Second, the rubber button on the brush has been ripped.