This will not answer your questions directly Jared, but I think it is
at the heart of the issue. I read and hear people daily that question
the validity and worth of research. The link they distrust the most
is that interpretation. I heard an exec recently request process that
eliminates human interpretation and therefor error... I just had to
laugh. Decision makers are fooling themselves if they think research
will answer questions directly, or worse make design decision for
them. This is the sweet spot of opportunity and the hardest of steps.
Interpreting user research to make design decisions is hard work.
There is a trend in research and in the press towards implementing
solutions based on math and technology that promises to skip that
whole 'understanding' phase. Personally, I think this is bunk.
But back to the specific implementation of point 4. Of course users
are unreliable at times. You don't ask users direct questions. We
absolutely know that users do not know what they know (what a
horrible sentence). User research is not about asking users for the
answers. It is about discovering the answers by understanding the
user, the users needs and context.
There is not one single and simple route to understanding the user.
Its hard, it takes time, it requires interpretation and you will get
some things wrong. Be careful with shortcuts masquerading as efficiency.
Mark
On Oct 12, 2008, at 8:46 AM, Jared Spool wrote:
Ok. I've unburied myself from conference preparations enough to
begin to seriously deal with this silliness. I'm working on my you-
guys-are-thinking-all-wrong rebuttal, but there's one clarification
I need.
Robert wrote:
4. UCD = users are unreliable, unstable, and often unpredictable;
ACD =
activities are relatively stable, by comparison
I have a simple question: What the hell does this mean?
I don't know what you mean by stability. Can you give me an example
of unreliable/unstable/unpredictable users and a counter example of
a stable activity? An explanation as to why each one is stable/
unstable would help too.
I think, once I have that, I can put this to bed for once and for all.
:)
Jared
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