The machine I have chosen is a Comfort Zone USB fan that I bought in Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $10. It is around 7-8 inches long, has a voltage of 5V, and is perfect for desk use. As well, it has two joints on its left and right side so that it can be tilted in order for the user to direct the airflow in the direction that is wanted. It presents its capabilities quite clearly to the user as it has a loose cage around the spinning fan inside so as not to block the airway, but also to present what its function is. As well, on the back side of the fan there is a quite obvious on off switch that clearly states its function. Due to the design of most other technologies, how the switch on the back of the fan functions is similar to the design of other technologies.
Although this fan is quite straight forward with its capabilities, one of its affordances is that the user cannot change the fan speed and strength of the airflow to suit their needs. Another flaw in the design is that the on/off switch is of the back of the fan and is not that easily reachable. For the user to turn off the fan, they would either have to get up and go around the fan to turn it off, or would have to grab the fan from the cage part and bring the fan to them to turn it off. This affordance can be a risk to the user’s safety as if the cage bends, or a finger gets stuck in there, the user could hurt themselves from the spinning blades of the fan. Furthermore, since the fan requires to be plugged into a computer or electrical outlet to function, the user cannot place and direct the fan towards area’s that need air that are away from the wall.