Design Diary
Alcatel A206G Tracfone
The Design that Warns You About an Action While Allowing You to Do it Anyway
The technology: The Alcatel A206G Tracfone is a pre-paid phone that is intended to meet only the most basic cell phone needs of its owner. While this model has evolved to fit modern times somewhat better, features such as internet still cost the user money since the plan is pre-paid.
The black color of the phone makes it seem classy, while the curving edges are pleasing to the eye and not perceived as threatening.
The entry point is organized and displays available options. The default wallpaper uses the biophilia effect to reduce stress and increase concentration.
...and disappears in other sections of the interface.
The black color of the phone makes it seem classy, while the curving edges are pleasing to the eye and not perceived as threatening.
Evaluation: The design of the phone has strong aesthetics. First, it is almost completely black, which gives users the impression that the phone is classy and worth a lot. Second, it makes use of contour bias to give users a more positive impression of the design- the phone has slightly curving edges, which are generally preferred over sharp edges or angles. Also, the interface’s entry point (the home screen) is reasonably attractive and clearly displays the available options. The home screen wallpaper is also preset to a nature scene, which is uses the biophilia effect to decrease stress and promote concentration when users open and operate the phone.
However, aside from its aesthetics, the design is lacking in several key aspects. Although the remaining battery power, minutes, and service days are displayed on the home screen, making the status of the device clear, the phone is somewhat low in visibility. For example, the control/arrow pad at the top of the keyboard is unlabeled, so its function is not immediately apparent. The design also shows a lack of confirmation. Using the internet costs the phone minutes based on the amount of time spent on the internet, and clicking “Web” automatically connects the user to the internet while letting them know via a pop-up message that it costs minutes. By the time I had read the warning, I had used 0.11 of my father’s minutes. The interface also has low legibility. The font is just barely readable. White font is sometimes used over photos. The icons at the top of the screen are miniscule and difficult to read, particularly the bars next to the 3G icon, and the “PWR” label on the end call button is so small that it is impossible to imagine people with low vision reading it successfully. Additionally, there is a lack of internal consistency. The icons at the top of the home screen that show the device status are only visible on the home screen, and some other screens, not throughout all device screens. This also contributes to a lack of visibility. While the design uses hierarchy to manage functions, settings, and applications, it is poorly executed because there are so many levels to the hierarchy that even accessing a simple function such as the camera requires many extra steps. The design also ignores the 80/20 Rule because it has too many unnecessary features, such as obscure camera settings and even an FM radio. The design could be more organized and usable if it focused only on the features that users will need the most.
Improvements: The designers of this phone should focus on increasing legibility, perhaps by increasing screen and font size. They should also add confirmation for potentially irreversible or costly actions, such as internet use. Hierarchy should be limited to fewer levels, and priority should be placed on the most common or used functions of the phone: calling, texting, and photos.
Should people use it? No, unless you are experiencing severe financial troubles. Even among pre-paid phones, there are currently phones that are better designed and more modern. Many of this phone’s design problems could be solved by increasing screen size and swapping the keyboard with a touch screen. However, other pre-paid phones already exist that have made these changes, so I do not believe that this particular model is worth buying unless more advanced pre-paid phones are too expensive.