[IxDA Discuss] Examples where personas are *not* useful

[Daniel Szuc]

One benefit of research is that your design decisions (which may well  
be right without research) are being informed. It also gives you data  
you can talk to when speaking to Execs who just talk to their own  
opinion, just as designers sometimes to talk to their own opinion as  
well.

More data points helps to tell a story.

rgds,

Daniel Szuc
Principal Usability Consultant
www.apogeehk.com
T: +852 2581 2166
F: +852 2833 2961
"Usability in Asia"

The Usability Kit - www.theusabilitykit.com


On 28/11/2007, at 3:33 AM, Todd Zaki Warfel wrote:

> Yes, this is my point. That good design done w/o any type of research
> is rare. To think that it happens simply by chance is IMHO
> shortsighted and naive. Furthermore, why take the risk? Why wouldn't
> you inform your design by some research?
>
> Speaking for myself and Messagefirst, every time we've done some
> research, typically based on ethnographic methods, our designs have
> turned out that much more informed, innovative, and intuitive. We have
> done some good designs based simply on pre-existing knowledge, but
> they're not nearly as good as those that are informed through
> research. I hardly think this is an anomaly.
>
> On Nov 27, 2007, at 2:24 PM, Jeff White wrote:
>
>> But that doesn't mean that *no* user centered research was conducted
>> - it just means they didn't use personas. Which I think is Todd's
>> point here...good design is much more probable when some sort of
>> user centered research (especially when designing for an audience
>> other than yourself) is conducted.
>
>
> Cheers!
>
> Todd Zaki Warfel
> President, Design Researcher
> Messagefirst | Designing Information. Beautifully.
> ----------------------------------
> Contact Info
> Voice:	(215) 825-7423
> Email:	todd at messagefirst.com
> AIM:	twarfel at mac.com
> Blog:	http://toddwarfel.com
> ----------------------------------
> In theory, theory and practice are the same.
> In practice, they are not.
>
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