From Article:
While all these approaches address the need for the system to support user tasks, they do not help define the creation of a system that users will enjoy or find engaging

[StartOfRant...]Why do we spend so much time talking about ineffective solutions to superficial problems, while ignoring the real problem: We need to DESIGN and take some RESPONSIBILITY for what we produce rather than promoting processes and procedures that pass the buck onto someone else.[...EndOfRant]

Posted by: Mac on August 12, 2002 10:06 AM

 

I'd agree with Mac, except that this is a workshop, which is the appropriate venue to take on such issues.

However, there certainly is a lack of responsibility in design, and many of these workshops assume otherwise.

Posted by: Ron Zeno on August 12, 2002 04:10 PM

 

Mac, could you elaborate on your rant? I'm very interested.

Who's passing the buck? Some practitioners or the community as a whole?

Posted by: MadMan on August 13, 2002 03:18 AM

 

MadMan, here is my expansion of my rant:

In my experience, many Usability Practitioners pass the buck by treating the "users" as little more than lab rats.
They seem to need to reduce everthing down to crude metrics, that are then stuck into a PowerPoint-less that is presented to the senior management in an attempt to "sell" usability to the business.

If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof," they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: "I saw a house that cost $ 20,000." Then they would exclaim: "Oh, what a pretty house that is!"
The Little Prince

I work in a large Financial Services Company where they have set up a Usability Lab, with the two way mirrors, vidoes and mock environments. I have boycotted this facility for the past two years because it was being used to take control away from the development teams and put it in the hands of the "Murketeers". The apps that I have worked on without the 'support' of the usability lab, have been proven to be more usable, successful, efficient and profitable than anything that's gone through the labs, because we have taken responsibility to ensure that our app works for users rather than abdicating responsibility to the people in white coats.

These days, Usability seems to be putting most of its effort into explaining why it hasn't made much of a difference, and of the wonderful things it could do, if only the "business" were to take it seriously.

The Usability Community is allowing the marketing men to own the usability agenda. These are the people who left their big companies to start dot.coms five years ago. Now they have come back to the Corporations in a new role where they can "help" usability to be accepted in the corporate world. They have given up on the "Built in and they will come" idea, and instead promote things like "The researchers discovered that, on average, for every 1 percent increase in the customer experience quality, there was a 1.66 percent increase in traffic to the site and a 0.84 percent increase in revenues."

and from the same source:
Many Marketers are now the new "owners" of the user experience. Successful and profitable experiences will result from managers who have mastered the medium, who understand the impact that usability has on the bottom line, and who can communicate this to their development teams.
Build For Use: Driving Profitability Through the User Experience

I belive that Usability can only redeem itself by making common cause with the users and the developers. This group would then be able to "own the user experience" and drive change and improvement from below, rather than waiting for the "higher-ups" to hand down their pronouncements. And I don't only blame the Usability people for this. Until us programmers stop criticising Usability people and try to work with them then we are just as responsible for this sorry state of affairs.

Oh and here's a Pharg in adavnce.

Posted by: Mac on August 13, 2002 04:38 AM

 

Go Mac!

I certainly empathize, but my experiences are quite different...

The Usability Community is allowing the marketing men to own the usability agenda.

My take: Companies are hiring usability people to be subservient to marketing, and/or firing those who will not. I don't tolerate it myself, but there are many who are more than willing to compromise themselves, and many more besides who just don't know better. The vast majority is in the latter category - they know no different.

Until us programmers stop criticising Usability people and try to work with them then we are just as responsible for this sorry state of affairs.

Absolutely! Suggestions please on what to do about it (from all)!

Posted by: Ron Zeno on August 13, 2002 12:41 PM

 

Ron,

but there are many who are more than willing to compromise themselves

I think we have the same view on this, but I would like to make it clear that I do not blame people for compromising themselves. When you need to pay the bills, you will do a lot of things that may be distasteful. I agree that the problem is the lack of alternatives, and rather than wait for someone else to come along and sort it out for us, we should be coming up with the alternatives ourselves. So I would like to join you in your call for suggestions for a way forward.

Posted by: Mac on August 13, 2002 03:30 PM