The Most Annoying Sound

The Most Annoying Sound

Ido Gendel

Still RelevantIntermediate

Independent consultants often face requests and requirements that go beyond the technicalities of software and hardware. Designing user interfaces is a common example, and even though most of us are not UI experts, we still have to get it right, otherwise the users may get annoyed, and the product will fail. However, what happens when we're asked explicitly to annoy users? Here's a true story about such a case.

Summary

Ido Gendel recounts a consulting engagement where a client explicitly requested an intentionally annoying UI sound, using the story to illustrate the non-technical challenges embedded engineers face. The piece explains how to balance product requirements, user experience, contractual protection, and practical firmware constraints when requirements conflict with good design.

Key Takeaways

Assess when product requirements conflict with user experience, safety, or regulations and escalate for clarification
Document decisions, approvals, and trade-offs to protect the consultant and the product team
Prototype and test audible alerts with representative users to quantify annoyance and find tolerable alternatives
Mitigate annoyance through firmware techniques (timeouts, opt-outs, context-aware triggers, volume control) and propose safer alternatives
Negotiate scope and contractual language up front to avoid being forced into ethically or legally questionable implementations

Who Should Read This

Embedded firmware engineers, independent consultants, and product leads working on IoT or consumer embedded devices who need practical guidance for handling contentious UI/UX requirements.

Still RelevantIntermediate