On Dec 18, 2007, at 8:16 AM, Murli Nagasundaram wrote:

> I hope I am making sense.

Hi Murli,

You are making sense.

However, you're not correct. In particular, this statement:

> Usability is about ensuring that your design is NOT BAD -- i.e.,  
> does not
> in any way impede, restrict, prevent, the user from accomplishing  
> her goals
> through using an artifact.

This is a limited viewpoint -- the equivalent of saying, "Design is  
about making things pretty," which we both know is not true.

Usability practice is about measuring how usable something is, on a  
scale from extreme frustration to extreme delight. Using the  
information gained through good usability practice, a designer can  
work to eliminate the user's frustration, then learn to enhance the  
user's delight.

I would agree that many usability practitioners focus primarily on  
frustration. The field is far more developed on that side of the  
problem. However, that behavior doesn't define the entire field of  
practice, nor does it define those usability practitioners who excel.

Some of us spend a lot of time thinking about the delight side of the  
equation and what designers can do to increase it.

Jared

Jared M. Spool
User Interface Engineering
510 Turnpike St., Suite 102, North Andover, MA 01845
e: [EMAIL PROTECTED] p: +1 978 327 5561
http://uie.com  Blog: http://uie.com/brainsparks



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