[Sigia-l] [spam] The Value of "IA" or Whatnot, was: The New Nielsen?

[David Heller]

As someone who's sole job is to create interfaces for enterprise
software whether it is thin client (HTTP based) or written as classicaly
client/server software, I have to disagree with you emphasis. 

The main problem with softare IMHO, isn't that it doesn't do what we
need it to do, but it is BORING.

As with most enterprise software companies UCD is not high on the
priority post, though we are gaining ground and momentum. But recently,
my strongest advesaries came to ME saying that the next app I work needs
to be less boring and more engaging.

I'd also like to take on someone's assertion that I am fetishizing
design ... W/o seeming too defensive, no way is that what I'm doing.
There is a careful balance that needs to be played. For some of us the
balance needs to be towards "businesss" and the practical. For others of
us the balance needs to be towards engagement and emotion. Paula's post
was addressing a sector of this list, but not the whole list and thus
without context seemed to me to be overstating that balance, as someone
who is trying to wax the other direction.

Lets remember that we all have different environments that we are
workign in as well as different histories to how we arrived at the
position we are in today.

IMHO, from what I've seen from the AIGA ED community most have come from
the traditional membership of AIGA (AKA visual designers) ... They don't
need to be told that the visual and emotion is important. They've been
living that for years. They are focusing themselves towards business in
order to be taken more seriously by business. Makes sense.

But this is not a doctrine for all peope in our sector, nor can it be.
Many of us ... For this discussion, I'll call it the CHI side of us,
need to really work on the engagement side of things. I loved that CHI
and AIGA joined in MLPS this spring, but it is just a start and it
seemed to me that the the balance that is going on here still has a few
swings to go b4 we reach equalibrium.

-- Dave

David Heller
Sr. UI Designer
Documentum: The Leader in Enterprise Content Management
http://www.documentum.com/
 
T: 925-600-5636
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"If it is not useful, it will never be usable." --