bunkerthink

Touching on the attitude of most UCD/Usability practictioners re other development team members.... the bunker mentality.

"We're always right, and THEY are always wrong. And what's more, you're all total idiots"

Hah.

But the sad fact is... this IS the prevailing attitude among my fellow practioners, who feel that they are not doing their job unless they have antagonized each and every business analyst, systems designer and developer with their endless insistence on the primacy of their analysis over all others.

"We represent the USER". We speak for the user... but is that all there is to it? Do we speak for all users, then? Are we the only ones on a project team that is designing for the user?

IS everyone else a mindless slave to the needs of the "system"?

Apparently so... and we are not in the least hesitant to say it out aloud... and when someone tries to explain why we need to make some compromises, the typical approach:

1. Roll your eyes.
2. Shake Head sadly from side to side
3. Build up the tempo.. shake head faster and faster.
4. Let eyes glaze over
5. Make weird hissing noises from between clenched teeth
6. Break the pencil/pen you're holding
7. Stamp foot down violently
8. Foam at the mouth
9. Convulse violently
10. If all else fails, cry.

Hey, they say it works (I have it on good authority)

Of course, you could always draw yourself up to your full height, and call down the wrath of the USability Gods. And hope that lightning strikes the offending project member dead....

grow up, people. We don't have to fight all the time... there are compromises to be made, constraints on time and budget to be acknowledged.

Bunkerthink is dead. Collaboration is in. Live with it.
________________________________________________________ copyright 2004 ajoy muralidhar. all names or brands referenced are the copyright of their respective owners.