Lately I've been struck by seams. Seams everywhere: sometimes in the right places, sometimes definitely in the wrong places, but almost always noticeable. It's been a while since I went through an experience where I didn't notice the seams.
Seth points out that seams are important, and I think he's right. But like most things, you only really notice them when they don't work, or are broken.
Each of these isn't a deal breaker in and of itself (unless not being able to turn the wipers on/down ends in a crash), but in the long run, like Chinese water torture, they add up. Drip, drip, drip, drip... The Bolt || Peters crew point out that one of web site UX's 10 biggest faux pas is to unnecessarily block access to content, creating a huge seam. I remember hitting a similar seam while trying to read a Globe and Mail article way back when, and was appalled at both A. the seam and B. the audacity of G&M's assumption that in today's world of free! free! free! I would consider paying anything to read the article - let alone a whopping 5 dollars!"Where's the damn mute button on the remote?"
"Which of these icons does what I want?"
"How to I turns on the wipers for this car?"