Samantha Ingram
A 20+ year veteran of the UX Industry,
directing righteous indignation at everyday usability violations.
The “Close Door” button in an elevator appears to offer control. It suggests immediacy, agency, and responsiveness to the user’s needs. In reality, it’s often a placebo — disconnected from functionality, or programmed to ignore us entirely. What should be a tactile shortcut is UX theater.
UX Violations
Violation: System Feedback
The button lights up, but nothing happens.
Elevator interfaces often violate the basic principle of feedback. Pressing “Close Door” produces no observable result — no audible cue, no change in timing — just the taunting glow of a button that may not even be connected.
Violation: User Control and Freedom
You’re offered a choice you’re not allowed to make.
Users are presented with a control that implies autonomy. But in many elevators (especially in North America), the button is disabled or delayed unless activated by maintenance mode or emergency protocols.
Violation: Consistency and Standards
One dishonest button puts the whole panel in doubt.
“Close Door” is labeled with the same authority as “Open Door,” “Alarm,” and floor selections — all of which generally work. But when one button looks identical and behaves differently (or not at all), it quietly undermines trust in all controls. The result: users become uncertain not just about one feature, but about the reliability of the interface as a whole.
How to Fix
Restore Honest Feedback
Make the button state reflect actual function
If the button is non-functional, don’t just light it up — give a delay indicator, a sound cue, or disable it entirely when inapplicable. Feedback must match reality to maintain user trust.
Reduce Cognitive Load Through Clarity
If it’s decorative, label it accordingly
Label buttons according to their logic state: “Timed Close,” “Auto-Close Active,” or even grey them out when overridden. Clarity reduces frustration and keeps users from feeling gaslit by their interface.
Like dimming menu items in software when they’re unavailable, instead of letting users click and wonder.
Use Progressive Disclosure for Control
Make advanced control optional and visible
If door-closing is restricted due to safety standards, allow a long-press, keycard override, or “Power User” mode for staff. But surface that logic clearly.
Change Management
Rebuilding user trust through honest control affordances
Set Expectations at Installation
Redefining the button’s role transparently
Elevator manufacturers should label or signal button logic at install: if the “Close Door” button is disabled by default, mark it accordingly. Clarity here is not just a courtesy — it’s a compliance strategy.
Design for Emotional States
The Close Button isn’t just for speed, it represents perceived control
People press the button to feel agency in a tightly enclosed space. A countdown timer to auto-close gives give the user a sense of predictability, easing anxiety.
Make It Feel Designed
Don’t hide policy behind placebo
Retain the emotional function of the button (urgency, control), but design it to actually do something. Let users feel heard even when the system says “not yet.” Fake buttons erode long-term trust.
