Blastoff Rails 2026 - Spaceships, Radiation Therapy, and Power Users by Nikky Southerland

Why watch

This talk explores how to design interfaces that accommodate highly skilled power users who can inadvertently introduce system errors through their expertise. Using the Apollo spacecraft guidance computer and the Therac-25 radiation therapy machine as historical case studies, it examines what happens when advanced users encounter interfaces not designed with their proficiency in mind. Developers and designers will learn proactive strategies to reduce frustration and prevent unintended system behavior while maintaining efficiency for expert users.