I think I am.
I’ll prove it to you. Bring me forth any weirdly operating door, a shiny elevator or even a mere fancy faucet. I won’t be able to use the object at first. I’ll have to stop, study it for a while and then – maybe – I’ll make it work.
I remember not being able to wash my hands, to operate revolving doors, to flush the toilet (sorry for the eww moment), all more than once.
I always was like that – I suck at recognizing new usage patterns in objects. Sometimes, this proves useful, since I can relate to naive users more easily. But at all times, this quirk has made me an object of mockery and laughs.
Am I to blame that I cannot use faucets? I don’t know. Should I stop and examine a faucet before using it? I don’t think.
Lay off with the innovative designs people. Innovation is good, but we surely don’t need a hundred new ways of operating a revolving door. Or a faucet. I really hate faucets.
For this one time, my dear designers, don’t break the rules.
All yours,
t3h st00pid g1rl
P.S. At least it seems I’m not alone. Read this book.
design, usability, design of everyday things, donald norman
Gather round, folks. I have something to confide.
Most of us work as web designers, web developers or copywriters for the web. Something around ‘web’, in general.
We strive to keep our designs and projects compatible with the latest web standards, we use modern browsers and trendy applications, we design Web 2.0 and 3.0 and n.0, trying to keep up with the latest trends in web design and web technology and web copy. We design for clients of every aspect, clients that are close to the Web or not, clients that know what they want or pretend to know what they want or are clueless whatsoever.
We love the Web and try to keep up with its ever-changing waves every freakin’ day.
I have a question for all of you, webbies: Who do we work for? Or else, who do we kid?
Who appreciates our sweaty forehead, after keeping our HTML error-free and accessible? Who do you think cares about pixel perfect designs and crisp mockups apart from us? Who cares about web standards and basic principles of design anyway, apart from web designers?
More than once in my short career in Web I’ve answered myself: Noone.
Think, webbies, are we designing just for us? Just for a clique of people that will pat our back and say “hey, great job”? What do our clients see? What do our users see? What do they appreciate? Do you think they like new features? Do you think they ever use them?
Sigh.
P.S. Get-in-the-same-lousy-mood-as-me game: Check your perfectly crafted HTML mockup on client’s IE5, repeatedly alternating windows with Firefox. Bang head on desk as needed.
I’m ashamed to admit, I haven’t discovered Konigi till recently. It’s a great repository of design bits, methods, tools and techniques related to user experience, a recent favourite of mine.
First of all, I digg the design. I digg it so much it hurts. I guess when we teach “content must define the design, never the opposite”, that’s what we have in mind:
Simple, works.
Feel free to browse the archives, but what I liked best was these graph paper templates, because hey, you can never stop using pencil and paper in UI design.
konigi, UX, design
