One of the biggest and most involved IT service processes is onboarding new users and introducing them to an unfamiliar workspace in the easiest and most stress-free way possible.
Typically this is a combined process of appreciating existing familiarity with similar tools, intuitive user interface design and friendly, readily available support.
In one of the greatest examples of the road to disaster being paved with good intentions, Microsoft’s infamous Bob interface tried its utmost to make computers friendlier with an easier-to-use interface.
The interface was designed to be representative, with each screen being designed to look like the room of a house, with skeuomorphic decorations and icons that looked like real-world objects and could be clicked to launch relevant applications.
A pen and paper would resemble a word processor, the email client resembles a physical inbox and outbox (something regularly seen in 1995 that would be made largely obsolete by the rise of email and paper-free offices), a chequebook would open a spreadsheet, and so on.
It also featured animated virtual assistants who would provide prompts to help add functionality and could be asked questions using technology that would later inspire the Virtual Assistants seen in Microsoft Office such as Clippy for several years.
Whilst the initial demonstration received largely positive reactions, the launch of Microsoft Bob was overwhelmingly poorly received, because it was surprisingly processor-intensive, was expensive, patronising and yet somewhat unhelpful.
Despite Microsoft having a reputation for trying to make negatively received products work, Bob was abandoned within a year and has since become something of a punchline.
However, it did provide a strong learning experience for what people new to computers or computer systems need in order to feel comfortable using new IT equipment.
It is not a cartoon office, with cute animals asking if they need help launching a spreadsheet, but a consistent, clear interface with clearly defined icons, well-written documentation and support on hand to help with complex queries.