[Sigia-l] Coat Hanger Usability

[Lyle_Kantrovich at cargill.com]

Of course, cost is a factor in what a user expects from a product's 
total user experience.  For example, what is the basic measure of 
"usability" of a BMW car?  Is it easy to drive?  Can I easily change the 
radio station and use the CD player?  Is it safe in a crash - did I 
understand how to use the safety equipment properly?

Those are all examples I think of as "usability" measures for a car.  
BUT, one might buy a BMW over a Ford for features and reasons other than 
drivability, the audio system or safety equipment.  A BMW might also be 
purchased as a status symbol, an entertainment and recreational 
environment, or as a utility vehicle for hauling mountain bikes.  How do 
you measure the BMW's "usability" when used in these ways?  

"Usability" always needs context.  The question is: How usable is it as 
WHAT, FOR WHOM, and WHEN?  When you think about that, cost is important 
in many contexts.  E.g. A car's "usability" as a status symbol is highly 
dependent on it's cost and scarcity.  

Broaden "cost" to include multiple facets, not just monetary, and you 
get another reason cost is intertwined with the success of a design.  
Cost can include: space, bandwidth, time, people, environmental impact, 
physical harm, stress, productivity, etc., etc. 

"Usability" or "user experience" work often seeks to find a balance of 
costs and benefits within a design.  Saying "cost has nothing to do with 
usability" is ignoring the fact that cost has everything to do with 
determining how usable something should ultimately be and a lot to do 
with how happy a user will be with the product.

Regards,

Lyle

----
Lyle Kantrovich
User Experience Architect
Cargill 

Croc O' Lyle - Personal Commentary on usability, information 
architecture and design.
http://crocolyle.blogspot.com/

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." 
	- Leonardo da Vinci
 

-----Original Message-----
From: scott at penguinstorm.com [mailto:scott at penguinstorm.com]
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 11:09 AM
To: DCollins at phoenix-interactive.com
Cc: sigia-l at asis.org
Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Coat Hanger Usability


On Monday, March 1, 2004, at 06:41  AM, Dave Collins wrote:

> Expensive is almost always better. But cost is a factor that must be 
> weighed
> into the usability equation.

Cost has nothing to do with usability; cost has to do with project 
management.
--
Scott Nelson
scott at penguinstorm.com

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