[IxDA Discuss] Alan Cooper on Software Design: Code=Design?

[David Malouf]

ACtually Rich, I think you are overreaching the advances of IxD and UX
for most programmers.

Let's give a taste. When I was interviewing for the UX Evangelist
position @ MS I learned a few things about reality.

1. There are some 20-25 million MS developers worldwide. That is ONLY
MS developers. Then there are Java and every other type of developer
out there, right? 

2. Compare that to at best the numbers of UX professionals in total
out there. What 100,000 at best! And that number in my mind is so
over-inflated. For example there are 5000  IxD's represented on the
IxDA lists. 

3. Almost all of the enterprise work I interact with from my position
at Motorola Enterprise Mobility, I have NEVER interacted with anyone
close to a UX professional. These people are creating systems and
software without any research other than at best business analytics.

4. While there is an increase in designers, there is also an increase
in inmates and I have not seen real proof of the problem resolving
itself in any major way.

5. Even where there ARE UX professionals, I often see them as
tokenized, and disempowered behind engineering focused folks. he who
controls the code, controls output and controls the process.

I don't mean to dismiss people's experiences, but if you are doing
Great, I applaud you. The reality is that the far majority of UX
practitioners are working as non-equals to engineers and that where
they do exist is a far minority to where they don't exist at all.

To your point about "constraints" on engineering ... I find most of
these are excuses derived by engineering as a means of saving their
own ass. 

on the flip side, I don't think Alan is a great evangelist for
design. I find that by poking at "the other" he is alienating us
even further. I don't think this tactic is valuable even when the
content is accurate and well intentioned.

But it is always nice to see that there is someone out there that is
kickin' ass for the home team!


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Posted from the new ixda.org
http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=21921