inputs/outputs

The Second System Effect is a theory from Frederick Brooks’ book The Mythical Man Month, a collection of essays about software design. He basically explains that a first system will inevitably fail, and that designers must keep that in mind. It almost seems pointless, then, to even build a first system. The catch is that you can’t have a second without a first.

The Regal Center, a shopping center in my hometown, has grown slowly over the past few years, with gigantic parking lot and a few auxilary stores next to the theater, so that people could grab a bite before a movie. Over the next few years, the center installed a Potbelly, and that restaurant soon became more than the pre-show bite. Pretty soon, it was a high school hangout, a concert venue, and a place to grab a really nifty/innovative sandwich. Other shops opened nearby, like Ben & Jerry’s, another store which is more than your run-of-the-mill ice cream vendor.

The parking lot overflowed, and all of the other parking lots nearby were off-limits for whatever reason. They installed a booth and a $1 fee to park, but the lot was still constantly full during peak hours. The booth was also awkwardly placed, and the cars have to snake around it, dodging the make-shift lane they had created with orange cones. It was pretty clear that adding anymore stores to this area would cause major problems with the traffic, especially since there’s a major route adjacent to the center.

Recently, a new center has opened directly behind the Regal center, and it is beautiful. Instead of one sidewalk, they’ve created a pavilion. There are multiple parking garages, and there are lights over every space that change color to indicate if the spot is occupied or not. The parking is free. There are restaurants that are a tad bit expensive. Well they’re more expensive than Potbelly, anyway.

There may not be a movie theater in this lot, or a nifty shop like Potbelly, but the user interface is a lot more elegant than the one of the center directly in front of it. That’s enough for me to ditch the Regal Center on a Friday night, even if I do love Potbelly’s award winning sandwich, “The Wreck.” A good user interface is enough, a lot of the time, to make consumers feel comfortable with paying a premium. It’s why we pay more for iPods/iPhones, Tablet PCs, etc.

Imagine the potential of a bunch of second systems that haven’t been invented yet: highways, tollbooths, plumbing, vending machines, medicine…