[Sigia-l] NYT 7/8/7: Technologys Untanglers: They Make It Really Work

[Andrew Boyd]

On 7/9/07, Susan Doran <susandoran at hotmail.com> wrote:
> FYI...
> "Enter the usability professional, whose work has recently developed into a
> solid career track, driven mostly by advancements in technology..."

Hi Susan,

perhaps I am jaded, but the article seemed a throwback to a time when
usability was news - perhaps five years or slightly more ago. I see
UCD and usability validation as being relatively mature now, something
more accepted and less remarkable in and of itself.

I think that we've moved on to something a little more holistic -
perhaps the Big D Designer concept - and instead of the UCD mechanic
fixing each individual car (site) that arrives in the garage, we're
looking at a world where it is better to look at the issues behind the
issues, and design a metaphorical means of transport that works across
whole problem domains. I see IA as a profession that uses some UCD101
principles to craft a total solution - the UCD stuff is important, but
it is just one part. We're seeing UCD-centric folks moving into IA and
some of them don't quite seem to get it.

Cheers, Andrew

---
Andrew Boyd
http://facibusreviews.com