Anyone know what the photo on the left is? It's probably indicative of several transactions you have each day and, although you've maybe never thought about it, I'll bet you've had this same thought on more than one occasion. When receiving change at a counter, why is it that cashiers hand you (1) the bills, with (2) the receipt layered on and (3) the change on top?

What happens next? You have to lay down your food, put the change in your pocket, get out your wallet or purse, put the bills in your wallet or purse, fold over your receipt and put it in your pocket then pick up your food (which by now is cold) and walk away. The items the cashier is giving to you - while all there - are in a completely useless and random order and in such form that you have to disassemble them in order to put them where they belong.

The heart of it is this: the cashier is trying to push through dozens of transactions per hour and isn't thinking about what's best for you. Instead, the cashier is just trying to get through this transaction and move on to the next one. The cashier is giving you change in a way that makes sense for his/her situation, not for yours.

It's something to consider when we are crafting our messages, creating products and making art. If we want to create art for ourselves on our own time, great. But the moment there is a customer/client involved, it's no longer about our needs and instead must center in on the their needs. I've been processing this a lot lately, and specifically thinking about ways in which I project my preferences onto others. It's a worthwhile thing to consider for anyone who has to create things for other people.