How a Japanese Vending Machine Changed the Way I Think About UX
A few weeks ago, I stood in front of a vending machine in Osaka and had a minor epiphany. It wasn’t a sleek touchscreen number—no AI chatbot, no loyalty scheme. Just bright buttons, cold drinks, and a quietly brilliant bit of user experience.
Here’s the detail: It was raining. I had one hand on my umbrella, the other fumbling in a damp jacket pocket. I pressed the button for a green tea. The machine dispensed it in less than two seconds. But the real magic? It lit up the button I’d selected so that if someone else was watching—or if I glanced back—I’d know exactly what I ordered. A tiny confirmation. Absolute clarity. No confusion. Zero delay. All without any unnecessary interaction.
That blink of delight stayed with me. Because too often in digital design, we overcook the experience. We throw layers at users. Pop-ups, loading animations, opt-ins. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that the best UX feels like nothing. It just works. And you don’t notice it until you meet its flawed cousin elsewhere.
So here’s my plea to brands and designers: fall back in love with low-drama design. Simplicity is not laziness. Confirmation, consistency, and speed will be remembered long after your microcopy or motion graphics. That vending machine taught me that clarity is kindness, and friction is the enemy. And every app, website, and campaign could afford to be a little less clever, a little more useful.
Here’s the detail: It was raining. I had one hand on my umbrella, the other fumbling in a damp jacket pocket. I pressed the button for a green tea. The machine dispensed it in less than two seconds. But the real magic? It lit up the button I’d selected so that if someone else was watching—or if I glanced back—I’d know exactly what I ordered. A tiny confirmation. Absolute clarity. No confusion. Zero delay. All without any unnecessary interaction.
That blink of delight stayed with me. Because too often in digital design, we overcook the experience. We throw layers at users. Pop-ups, loading animations, opt-ins. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that the best UX feels like nothing. It just works. And you don’t notice it until you meet its flawed cousin elsewhere.
So here’s my plea to brands and designers: fall back in love with low-drama design. Simplicity is not laziness. Confirmation, consistency, and speed will be remembered long after your microcopy or motion graphics. That vending machine taught me that clarity is kindness, and friction is the enemy. And every app, website, and campaign could afford to be a little less clever, a little more useful.