1. Note to presenters
This is provided by csunplugged.org, as a demonstration of frustrating user interfaces.
You can use it by asking your audience to call out the COLOUR (not the writing) of each word as you put it up. After a humourous and frustrating time of that, ask them what button you press in Windows XP/98 to stop the computer. This leads to a discussion of frustrating and contradictory interfaces, and the need for interface designers to think more about their audience.
Use the native language of your audience (or to reverse the effect, you can show how it’s much easier to do the exercise if you can’t read the language – another way is to take off your glasses or squint at the image).
Note that data projectors are notorious for making colours look different, so check out the particular projector first. Sometimes it’s better to use physical cards.
For follow-up, consider sites like and books like Normans “Design of Everyday things”.
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2. English Chinese Svensk Japanese Korean
The Stroop effect...
English Chinese Svensk Japanese Korean

3. The Stroop Effect
(English)

4. BLUE

5. GREEN

6. RED

7. PURPLE

8. BLACK

9. YELLOW

10. PURPLE

11. GREEN

12. BLUE

13. Human-computer interaction

14. Stop the computer...

15. Stop the computer...

16. Stop the computer...

18. (end)

19. Stroop effect in Chinese

20. 蓝
Color: hon (red)
word: lan (blue)

21. 红
Color: lan (blue)
Word: hon(red)

22. 红
Color: lju (green)
Word: hon (red)

23. 紫
Color: hon (red)
Word: zi (purple)

24. 黑
Color: huan (yellow)
Word: hei (black)

25. 黄
Color: lju (green)
Word: huan(yellow)

26. 紫
Color: hei (black)
Word: zi (purple)

27. 蓝
Color: hon (red)
Word: lan (blue)

28. 绿
Color: lan (blue)
Word: lju (green)

31. kaisi

32. The Stroop effect... SV

33. BLÅ

34. GRÖN

35. RÖD

36. LILA

37. SVART

38. GUL

39. LILA

40. GRÖN

41. BLÅ

42. HCI

43. Stroop effect in Japanese

44. 青
Color: aka (red)
word: ao (blue)

45. 赤
Color: ao (blue)
Word: aka(red)

46. 赤
Color: midori (green)
Word: aka (red)

47. 紫
Color: aka (red)
Word: murasaki (purple)

48. 黒
Color: ki (yellow)
Word: kuro (black)

49. 黄
Color: midori (green)
Word: ki(yellow)

50. 紫
Color: kuro (black)
Word: murasaki (purple)

51. 青
Color: aka (red)
Word: ao (blue)

52. 緑
Color: ao (blue)
Word: midori (green)

54. kaisi

55. Korean

56. 파랑
Word: palang (blue)
Colour: bigang (red)

57. 초록
Word: choro (green)
Colour: parang (blue)

58. 빨강
Word: bagang (red)
Colour: choru (green)

59. 보라
Word: pora (purple)
Colour: bigang (red)

60. 검정
Word: komtong (black)
Colour: norang (yellow)

61. 노랑
Word: norang (yellow)
Colour: choru (green)

62. 보라
Word: pora (purple)
Colour: kumjung (black)

63. 초록
Word: choru (blue)
Colour: parang (blue)

64. 파랑
Word: palang (blue)
Colour: bigang (red)

65. HCI

66. COMPUTER
SCIENCE
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