At first, the design feels clean and effortless. But the simplicity is doing more work than it lets on: much of the thinking has quietly been handed to the "user".
There's no such thing as automation in a store. When we use self-checkout, we're performing that labor. And poorly, too.
Jan 19, 2026 01:24Our hands don't have the memory of the fast-clicking PLU codes for bananas, potatoes and radishes.
Only shift workers at the store do: seniority affects how fast those fingers fly.
So we plod through flat touchscreens that don't allow for muscle memory, but at least we've avoided conversation.
Image: NCR Corporation model of self-service checkouts and fast-lane at a Sainsbury's store by SchuminWeb. CC BY 2.0.
