[IxDA Discuss] ACD (was ...companies actually using UCD)

[Mark Schraad]

On Jun 30, 2006, at 10:53 AM, Bret Hekking wrote:
> ACD = Activity Centered Design
> http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/human-centered.html
>
> I'm sure I've browsed Norman's article before, but I'll have to  
> read up,


I greatly admire Donald Norman's ground breaking work in design and  
read this article a while ago. While I mean no disrespect to Mr.  
Norman, this article frankly, left me more than a little  
disappointed, and here is why.

Norman implies that design is headed towards becoming too user  
centered - or as I interpret his meaning, a user designed world. A  
world without enough of the designer's input, and I think that is an  
exaggeration. I also believe that the designer(s), after considering  
all of the research, must show a sense of leadership in the product,  
system or organizations conception, development and refinement. We as  
designer must anticipate and lead through innovation.

Most products that Norman cites as used universally, actually changed  
peoples behaviors or added capabilities to their daily lives. The  
perfect product is one that adds capabilities without requiring a  
change in behavior. Changing behavior in humans is remarkably  
difficult. That is why a user or human centered approach to design is  
a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The type fits all  
products that Norman cites are either very simplistic or require some  
degree of behavioral change (or in the case of ergonomics - physical  
compromise)

The differentiation between HCD (Human entered Design) and ACD  
(Activity Centered Design) is more of an observation of change. As  
Human Factors engineers have moved from functional to usablility, the  
issues have moved from ergonomics to behaviors (not always mutually  
exclusive). I do not see the benefit of debating HCD over ACD. As  
well, Norman's rather simplistic interpretation of Activity Theory do  
him no favors here.

An extreme example of activity driven design, as Norman defines it  
might be a cell phone that learns how to short cut those most  
frequently used features with navigation to fit the users  
explorations. Or a web site that alters its structures based upon  
usage and navigational frequency - a more complex and automatic  
approach to user configured preferences (which most users are either  
not motivated or equipped to accomplish anyway.)

Human Factors (and UI, UE and IxD's) professionals also must be  
concerned with situations where behavior must be altered in order to  
accomplish goals. Some examples might be complex software and  
extremely robust interfaces. In these complex learning environments  
designer must be aware of methodologies and tools for encouraging  
those behavioral changes, ie: feedback, aesthetics, task completion,  
additional knowledge, pleasurability, etc.

Regarding apple, I have asked no less that 40 Apple employees, both   
at MacWorld in the last two years and in phone conversations and by  
reading every article I can find. I always get the same retort. Our  
innovation system, process and personnel are one person, Steve Jobs.  
It comes so "word-for-word" exact that I suspect that it is the PR  
machine at work (not sure that ego is at play here or just a very  
shrewd strategy - as we tend to love/hate icons and heros) and not  
really any insight into the Apple process. I suspect that Steve's  
dominance is a partial truth - but we all know that Jonathon Ives is  
a major player as well. A shoot from the hip approach to innovation  
can and has certainly hit some home runs, but I can't imagine it is a  
successful formula for other companies, or good for Apple in the long  
run.

[sorry for the long nature of this post... it is the early stage  
thinking of a paper or blog posting to come sometime soon]


Mark Schraad
mschraad at mac.com

"Surround yourself with people that you admire and desire to be more  
like."

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