[IxDA Discuss] Most usable doesn't always mean best solution

[Todd Zaki Warfel]

On Mar 4, 2008, at 10:59 AM, Elizabeth Buie wrote:

> Well, there you have it.  They're marketing folks.  IMNERHO they  
> aren't usability
> professionals; they're just calling themselves that.

They call themselves that and they are doing usability research.  
Companies are hiring them. I've seen the tapes. I've read the reports.  
Whether we like it or not, and personally I don't really like it, the  
reality is that these people are doing usability work and it's rather  
common.

> Then would you mind explaining what you had in mind when you said  
> that a design was less usable but more satisfying?  Help me out here.

Can't. Satisfaction is included in my definition of usability. But as  
I've said before, not everyone shares my definition of usability  
(remember those marketing agencies doing usability work?).

> I have clients in the government, nonprofit, and commercial sectors.  
> Which industry did you have in mind?  :-)

Based on your site, it looks like your focus is on government and non- 
profit. While we've done work for both, that's not our focus—we focus  
more on commercial businesses. However, whenever we deal with  
government/non-profit, we do have different "standards" we have to  
abide by. For example, right now, we're doing work for a very large  
bank. Actually, the company was acquired last year by a large bank.  
So, small startup that's now part of one of the world's largest banks.  
Last year, they weren't bound by 508 compliance and a few other  
"standards" that this bank is. Now they are. So, now part of our work  
is upgrading their systems for them.

And btw, it wasn't that they didn't care before, they weren't aware  
and didn't have the budget for this type of work before. Now they are  
aware and required so they have to create a budget for it.

> I am not talking about being "bound" by ISO standards.  I am talking  
> about knowing the definition of usability, which happens to be best  
> captured in ISO 9241/11.  This definition comes up rather frequently  
> among people who actually *are* usability professionals.

Last year at UPA, I taught an entire day long tutorial on creating  
data-driven design research persons. Part of that was how to use them  
in the usability process. During our discussion of usability, not one  
single person in the room of 50+ ever once referenced the ISO 9241  
definition of usability. Now, while this isn't conclusive, I'd think  
that a crowd at UPA is a pretty good representation of usability  
professionals.

Additionally, I've spoken at a number of UPA groups and have not once  
heard any reference to ISO 9241. I'm aware there's a standard, but  
I'll bet you that most people I encounter in the field aren't as well  
versed on it as you are and couldn't give me the ISO definition.

I'm not claiming that my experience is the entire total truth, clearly  
it's not. But clearly, there's an entire universe out there doing  
usability work who are totally and completely unaware of the ISO  
standard definition.


Cheers!

Todd Zaki Warfel
President, Design Researcher
Messagefirst | Designing Information. Beautifully.
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