Best. Assembly. Directions. EVAR.
15-Nov-06
I bought a chair from Office Depot yesterday and put it together today.
Now, the directions were fairly typical– big on diagrams, short on actual instructions, and had a list of items that should be in the box, etc. All the components of either really good minimalist documentation, or just really bad documentation (the difference, incidentally has nothing to do with documentation, but rather with user experience).
Anyway, I figured I was in for a long morning when I looked at the directions. But then, I unpacked the box and found this:
It’s the package of bolts and the necessary allen wrench to put the chair together.
Closeup:
(Ignore the missing bolts– they were there, but I used them.)
Getting into this package was relatively easy– it’s a plastic wrapped around the carboard backing, with staples holding it in place. I did not need a knife or anything stronger than my own 2 hands to break through the stapling.
Anyway, I’d guess this single piece of packaging and documentation saved me about thirty minutes of sorting bits and trying to match the bits in the package to the parts shown in the directions, and not understanding why I have one extra of all the bolts, plus chasing down an allen wrench. More importantly, it saved me half an hour of frustration.
Oh, yes, and I did need one of the extra bolts, as I dropped one and lost the locking ring off of it. Easy cheesy replacement, and I knew exactly which bolt could replace the one I’d dropped.
Bravo, Office Depot!
