[IxDA Discuss] What's your Personality Type? (Related to: Now Hiring Leonardo DaVinci?)

[Dana Smith]

Hi Jay,

> I start to see how I could use the results without stereotyping, and I 
> just wait to see who does use it to stereotype - themselves and 
> others. 

I think this is a very important point. In my opinion, these types of 
tests do start to become dangerous when too much emphasis or rigidity 
is put on the result. The test-taking process can be just as important 
an exercise as the outcome. I've found my four-letter type to be most 
useful as simply a short-hand way of generating understanding, but I 
would never want it to stand alone as some generalized description of 
me.

Regarding using types to understand others, I believe if we can think 
of it in terms of, "she's behaving more like this and less like that, 
because of ____ motivation," the framework can remain useful without 
forcing unnecessary divisions or stereotyping.

I envision personality / interaction preferences as an additional lens 
we can look through during many phases of the qualitative research 
and/or design process. But that is a topic for another day soon when I 
have more time.

And many thanks to everyone who has replied so far! This is very, very 
interesting. Hopefully we'll get to see even more responses as the 
workweek kicks off.

Dana