Conference call details: when the logical order isn't the logical order

I have a colleague who inputs the location details for conference calls with this information in this order:

TELECON

Chairperson Name: 
Company:
Conference Phone Number:
International Access Phone Numbers:
Conference Access Code:

If you look at this in one way it makes perfect sense.

You want to know where the meeting is and who’s meeting it is – that seems quite sensible. Next you want to know what number to dial and then having dialled it you want to know how to access it.

That makes sense – doesn’t it?

The problem is this. Give me the access code and I know the rest of the information. From a usability point of view the order ought to be completely different.

This may seem like a completely trivial issue but it actually has significant usability implications. When I look at these diary entries on my BlackBerry I have to open them to get the access code because it’s not on the preview screen of the entry in my day view. The helpful details at the beginning push this vital information off the screen. When the meeting reminder pops up I have to scroll down to find what I am looking for.

In Lotus Notes (our corporate email system) it does get shown, but it’s something of a jumble.

I’m not picking on this particular colleague I have a number of examples of people who do a similar thing and I know that this person is trying to be helpful. One person sends the information out in a nicely formatted little image – which is completely useless on the BlackBerry because we don’t download images.

Next time you are trying to be helpful try to think about how helpful you are really being.

This is just one of a very long list of things that I would like the world to know. Perhaps one day I will write a book with them all in and they will make me famous, but until then I will make myself content by knowing that I have told you.