Sidestepping the whole "user-definition" volcano...I agree that the word "usability" is really just a big wet blanket in terms of its appeal.
I'm not a marketing expert, but I worked for a drug company, where the names of things (esp drugs) HAD to have a very specific connotation in order to sell themselves. "Usability" is a very passive word. If they had called Earth Day "World Cleanability Day", nobody would have shown up. They changed the term "Global Warming" to "Climate Change" for (among other reasons) the fact that "warming" is neither powerful, action-oriented, nor necessarily a bad thing (in Buffalo, NY this time of year). You could say the same about "usability"..."I practice usability"..."I improve usability". See? If you treat lung cancer patients, you don't say "I improve breathability", you say "I cure cancer". That may be why no one really listens too much when we say "...but the usability sucks!". Maybe we should start calling ourselves "Sanity Activists" K, back to my cave... Bryan http://www.bryanminihan.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Russell Wilson Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:04 PM To: Chauncey Wilson; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why do crappy interfaces sell? I completely agree! I have had nothing but "blank stares" from anyone outside of our field, followed by "who cares?" Honestly, that is what has kept me from getting more involved myself -- I've seen very little come of it beyond a "birds of a feather rally". I'm a huge evangelist of design and usability; I work very hard to sell design/usability to executives and other stakeholders outside of our group, but I just don't see the point... Russell Wilson VP of Product Design, NetQoS Blog: http://www.dexodesign.com ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
