Usability

I've just been having a think about usability. When someone talks about usability I automatically think about websites, operating systems, consumer elctronics (iPods/iPads) - basically the IT and associated technolgy domains. However, if you think about it usability has applications in many offline/non-tech domains. For example, building, roads, cities, legal agreements are all areas where there can be enormous benefit with appropriate usability design.
I think the key question you have to ask yourself during design is who are your target user(s) and what does he/she need. Are you working on something that will have a lot of users that have fairly repetitive and typical usage patterns? (example: e-mail system) Alternatively, are you working on something that will be used quite infrequently but will need a lot of fail-safe capabilities? (example: Space Shuttle). How valuable is flexibility? Take Apple's iPod for example, the interface is fairly restrictive and inflexibile. However, for most consumers the iPod user interface has provided the simplicity and ease of use that was sorely missing in competing products. In many domains usability is an after thought. The "build it and they will come" mentality often leads to functional products that are poorly designed in meeting the typical users needs.

Another issue you may have to grapple with is what to do if you have more than one target user group. Nowadays many businesses "segment" their users into groups and follow different design strategies by segment. You see this in retail industry with many companies that have established multi-brand strategies - focused on different target shopper segments. You also see it quite a bit on the internet -- where websites are customised by jurisdiction. For a new venture with limited resources it is sometimes important to tradeoff and chose a design philosophy with the most valuable target user segment in mind.

Also, your target user base may evolve over time and correspondingly require a change in your usability design. Take facebook for example, initally designed for a young tech savvy US-centric user base is now needing to change/evolve its interface to attract a more international and diverse audience. Therfore good usable designs are never ever really finished - thevy evolve over time. Even "Google" which seemingly has had a very static search interface has gone through several design changes. You have to be careful about changing design though because you risk alienating your user base. Especially in cases where the user base has invested in learning a particular interface a radical change in desig can alienate existing user (A la Microsoft Vista).

Writing.

So this is my first post in a very long time. One often sees first posts wherein the author bemoans their lack of posting and promises to be more regular. My first post is no different. I wish I posted more often and promise to post more frequently.

The truth is I have never really learnt the art of writing. I dreamed of being a writer when I was little and so my parents got me a typewriter (since I have awful handwriting and am left handed). The typewriter didn't work too well so eventually they got me a computer. The computer for me was love at first sight. Games, programming, rummaging through and tearing up the hardware -- all of it, I loved the whole "techie" thing. Yep, that's me the accidental techie. I did little if any real writing unless you count my C++ coding as writing.

All through school and university i've struggled with creating written work product. Writing if anything has tended to be the painful process of me staring at a computer and trying desperately to procrastinate. Every procrastinating trick in the book i've tried. On occasion things have gotten so desperate i've actually been known to volunteer to do painful chores such as clean or gardening (For those of you don't know me, such mundane thing are never typically on any to-do list i've ever created). Of course these days we have the internet which can be the ultimate zen of procrastination, even more dangerous and draining than television.

Anyhow enough negativity. Even given my difficulties writing I understand and appreciate the value the benefits of writing. Thoughts and ideas tend to be vague an undefined until you can clearly articulate them. I'm reading a book now on writing that drives home the point about how interconnected the process of thinking and writing really are. I agree wholeheartedly. As painful as writing is for me I can clearly see how thoughts and ideas really begin to develop and refine throughout the writing process. I find that the actual physical manifestation of thoughts in written form tend to give ideas more psychological oomph that allows you to think critically. So its clear the rational-me easily understands the benefits of writing. Now the tricky part is to convince the irrational internet browsing, chocolate eating indulgent ape descendant side of myself. We'll see who wins.

Ps: I can't believe I have not written a word on this blog since 2007!!!