usability ayatollahs

All right, I said it. You know the ones I'm talking about. The Renowned Ones, the defenders of the Faith, the givers of the Law....The Ayatollahs of Internet Usability - the holy ones that dictate the law to the design community - tell me,please... where do they come from?

Have they ever worked on anything other than "informational" websites? Do they understand the typical corporate environment? Do they know how much damage they have done to our profession? True...they have indeed helped a great deal in making corporate decision makers aware of the importance of usability and user experience, but it is at that point that they outlive their usefulness....

Can someone...anyone...please send me examples of web-based applications that these Ayatollahs have developed?

The books, articles and pontifications in the hands of their devoted followers, who, on purchasing their favorite gurus's latest book suddenly deem themselves competent usability/UI design practitioners.

They then promptly jump in headfirst where angels fear to tread, and the result? IT project teams and project managers who are extremely wary of "user centric design" and UCD designers who want to help them develop a "usable" product.

Think, people... user centered design does not mean that every thing else is trampled underfoot. There are business needs to be met too, and technical constraints that have to be addressed.

Usability is NOT the exclusive domain of the so called UI designer or the Usability practitioner. No developer, designer or analyst worth his or her salt ever sets out to design an "unusable" product - the design solution has to be owned by the whole team, not just the UI designer or the usability practitioner.

A large part of a UI designer's work in a project team environment tasked with developing a complex application is in negotiating with the business analysts and the technical specialists - remember, they care about the end-user too, so don't treat them like total idiots. Work with them, and they will work with you.

And as for the Ayatollahs, please remember that their writings are not Scripture. An application designer with a good sense of his audience, and a fair understanding of requirements is a far worthier ally that all the books about usable design that were ever published.

don't be the usability high priest - be a team player. results matter.
________________________________________________________ copyright 2004 ajoy muralidhar. all names or brands referenced are the copyright of their respective owners.