"My fear is that aesthetics-over-usability could be interpreted by others in that fashion, even though I know that's not what it means to you."
Yes I think you are right but I think it pays to understand what that really means. Function is as important a part of the form and it's hard to separate the two when you really get down to it. This is particularly true when it comes to RIA's where the choreography of elements plays an ever increasing role. As the staccato approach to GUI's disappear (click > refresh of entire screen) the legato approach (click > new element on screen transitions from it's former look) get's more and more important. Legato transitions ad's to the usability factor because the user don't have to re-orientate themselves but instead experience that the interfaces react in the context the user thinks in. The elements of the functionality becomes small screens in themselves. It also helps to give the user a constant experience of success which is how game developers often think (any large game is really "just" a collection of many small games) It is my view that usability increases dramatically when you apply the legato approach to your design and that that is where the "experience" comes in. Improving the look and feel should mean improving the clarity of the experience to give it character not just making it nicer to look at. It doesn't hurt that it looks stunning but clarity can get lost in looking good (for instance the tendency to flatten the color palette or to put to much detail into the look of "system buttons") The task of the UX person is therefore to balance content (information), form (aestethics), function(tools that your site gives the user) and choreography (how they work) This is the idea behind my "how" not "what" principle. Interface is brand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45640 ________________________________________________________________ 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
