In a different article about the World Usability Day, Tom Steward writes for BBC News:
A recent study of marketing directors by e-consultancy found that most of them had no idea about usability or its importance in ensuring that their websites actually delivered business benefit.
What is the point of having trendy, gee-whizz, award-winning websites if no-one can use them to buy products? It’s a bit like creating adverts which only appeal to other advertising professionals, and who would be silly enough to do that?..
…As usability and ergonomics consultants, we do think World Usability Day is a good idea to focus attention on how far we still have to go but let’s stop accepting such blatantly bad design.
I second that. When I’m looking at what we have achieved and I’m looking at the reality of people using the websites and devices we create interfaces for, I still see a huge gap. Usability does not stop at the interface. It stretches from the very purpose and function of a product to its brand image. If a Sony laptop breaks you think “How could this happen? It’s a Sony?”. If a Dell breaks, you think “It sounded like a decent offer…”
Usability starts with clients. It starts how everyone involved in the process of creating something is ticking. Usability tests may be useful, but in the end, what counts are the minds making the right conclusions.
Virtually every time I get a new communication brief from a client it is mentioning Flash three times. “Get visitors by offering something like a cool game.” is a popular demand. Not from the users though. User studies show a drastically decreasing interest in online games, downloadable ring tones for cell phones and all that clutter, splashing and popping in our faces.
Here is my approach to fight back: Web developers and usability people, don’t get frustrated too easily. Clients, listen to the people you hire to create your stuff. Not necessarely to the Flash designers. Listen to the ones responsible for functionality. Read blogs about user experience. Learn about what people really want. It is happening right in front of our eyes.
Every day I see new evidence for the markets claiming back participation and interaction. Communication is no longer about delivering a message. It is much more about what the receiver wants to do with your message. There’s more to come on this topic. I’m working on an in-depth look at the intersections between usability and brand experience.
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