Joshua, To be fair, my experience does not point to a failure of UCD or ACD.
However, I recently listened to a UCD case study at the ozIA 2008 conference that demonstrated a clear lack of insight into the business consideration of the project. The team had several options from which to choose and settled on one which compromised a significant component of the client's brand, and the experience they wished to give customers. The proposed solution was tested - successfully - and the team then set about 'convincing the client' for some hours (reportedly). The alternate, and IMHO much more closely aligned, solutions were not tested. The project followed a UCD process to the letter. It was thorough, innovative, and comprehensive. In terms of the original brief, it can only be considered a success. However I can't but help feel like something fundamental about the business was sacrificed without ceremony, regard, or need. And I suspect that the business owners are nagged by the same feelings. To your first point, though, for all the discussion about the distinctions between UCD, ACD, GDD etc, I'm yet to see any compelling evidence to suggest that one is better - irrespective of the project, team makeup, team capability etc - than any of the others. I would suggest, based on my own experience, that it is impossible to separate the success of the method from these other factors. I hope that helps clarify my earlier comment. Steve 2008/10/8 Joshua Porter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > @Steve, great point about business needs at some level driving design > decisions. > > In my fullday workshop at d.Construct I talked about this very > problem, and I argued that the question "what activity do we wish to > support" is a better question than "what users do we wish to > target". However, it's clear that if your audience does not change > (such as if you're building an intranet) then the opposite applies. > > But in general, I think it's clear that the most successful software > is that which nails to the ground an activity. Even in very niche > world of professional web design, for example, each successful > application focuses on specific activities within that world. There > is no "software for web designers" that supports everything...there > are several pieces that fit different activities that all web > designers use piecemeal to get the job done. For example, I use a > text editor, ftp program, graphics program, diagramming program, > version control program, and communications tools to get it all > done...and I recognize each of these pieces of software for the > specific activity it supports. > > And to your point...can you provide more examples where ACD or UCD > falls down in the area of business consideration and strategy? > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33980 > > > ________________________________________________________________ > 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 > -- ---------------------------------------------- Steve 'Doc' Baty B.Sc (Maths), M.EC, MBA Principal Consultant Meld Consulting M: +61 417 061 292 E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] UX Statistics: http://uxstats.blogspot.com Member, UPA - www.upassoc.org Member, IA Institute - www.iainstitute.org Member, IxDA - www.ixda.org Contributor - UXMatters - www.uxmatters.com ________________________________________________________________ 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
