Companies have been forcing their employees to use inadequate ill-designed software systems for decades. If they dare to complain or make suggestions for improvements they are generally told that 'we pay you to work with the tools we provide, so get on with it'.

It is only since consumers of the companies services and products have started to use software systems that these companies have started to think about the 'usability' of these customer facing systems. However little effort is made to improve the tools that employees use and their very human skills are used more and more to plug the 'usability gap' that is prevalent in the workplace.

You can analyse and improve your web-site all you want, but if the employee in the call-centre does not have the tools to do the job you will never improve the 'user experience'.

Posted by: Mac on June 17, 2002 04:02 AM

 

The article's premise is flawed. I need employees for three reasons: #1 to ask questions, #2 to report complaints, and #3 to process my purchase. Technology has only taken over at the checkout counter by making the processing of my money go faster.

I still ask questions and report complaints. The vast majority of customer service is still handled by people. Do I get a quick response? Is the employee knowledgeable? Is the employee polite and sensitive to my situation?

Even in web site sales, the measure of a company is how it responds to the customer in a personal way. I didn't think much about Barnes & Noble until they screwed up an order and I got jerked around by its employees. To me, those employees projected the B&N brand more than anything it could say on its web pages.

This article sounds like it was written by a dot-commer still living in the "new economy."

Posted by: Jack on June 17, 2002 09:32 AM

 

Nice to see that someone can see through Cooper's fragile facade (transparent to anyone with some basic critical thinking abilities):

"interaction designers (like him) are born, not made" How comforting for anyone who wants to take on the title of "interaction designer"! No qualifications required, just assert that you are born to the position!

"his insistence that designs can and must be worked out in essentially complete form on paper, on whiteboards, and in the brains of the designers, over a long period of thoughtful iterative refinement" Wonderful, especially when considered in light of the previous quote. "Iteraction designers" don't have any qualifications and they don't have to bother with that tedious "usability testing" stuff!

Posted by: Ron Zeno on June 17, 2002 12:10 PM

 

So Ron, why don't you like Cooper and the gang? Go on, rant away. I'm listening.

Posted by: Kung Pao on June 17, 2002 02:36 PM

 

My apologies to anyone who considers my comments a personal attack against Mr. Cooper, his company, etc. My comments are not intended as such, but instead are meant to provoke others into thinking critically.

So "Kung Pao," why do you accuse me of disliking Mr. Cooper? Why use the word "rant?" If you disagree with my comments, why not just say so? Perhaps you could even give reasons why.

Posted by: Ron Zeno on June 17, 2002 04:11 PM

 

I meant that you clearly disagree with his "fragile facade" i.e., his methods and philosophy. So I wanted to know how and why.

I don't disagree with you, btw.

Posted by: Sweet sausage on June 17, 2002 04:40 PM

 

This isn't the most appropriate venue, so to the point: Alan is a great propagandist and self-promoter. He freely admits he had no revelant design experience nor education prior to starting his company and writing About Face - it shows.

He has found an extremely credulous audience. PT Barnum would be proud.

Posted by: Ron Zeno on June 17, 2002 05:40 PM

 

"his insistence that designs can and must be worked out in essentially complete form on paper"
Developing the structure, navigation and layout of a complex site/application on paper is a very poor substitute for things like HTML wireframes and experimental versions of the project.

Posted by: Matt Round on June 18, 2002 04:39 AM

 

When I quickly want to sketch a wireframe for a single page, or when I want to brainstorm a concept with a colleague (which needs a hasty diagram), I find paper and a pencil very convenient. But like you said, doing that for a complex site or application would be painful, if not stupid. Probably painfully stupid. ;)

Posted by: MadMan on June 18, 2002 07:21 AM