Sometimes my inner UX geek just has to come out into the real world.
Below are two examples of parking machines. The proposition in both locations is the same: you park your car and before you leave you put a ticket in the machine and pay for it. That's about as complex as it gets and yet these retail owners have two very different approaches. One has gone for a simple design and interaction approach and the other...well the other has decided it's a good idea to bombard you with information that completely lacks any hierarchy.
Now I think most people are smart enough - and have most likely been conditioned over time to understand the process and the order in which they need to submit ticket, pay and leave - but it's interesting to see the likes of Westfield go with the information design we see below. And when I see interesting I mean perplexing. #over-engineering.
Exhibit A - Westfield, White City, London, UK
Exhibit B: Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE
Now the Mall of the Emirates design lacks a certain finesse visually but hey, it does exactly what it is supposed to and when I am trying to drag my wife away from the shops at the mall, being able to pay and go as quickly as possible can only be valued as a good thing.