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Do you have a usability-resistant
personality? Do you find usability activities are more a hindrance
than a help? Do they get in your way, or seem irrelevant?
If so, you are not alone.
"KEEP THOSE USABILITY FOLK OFF MY
DESIGN !!!"
Many people responsible for creating new
products have a
personal style that resists conventional usability
input: it just doesn't fit with the way they run things.
Below are some examples. One or more of these styles may
seem strangely familiar...
Usability-resistant personalities
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CAPTAIN |
ARTIST |
| Knows exactly what he/she
wants. Forceful and decisive leadership style.
On principle never changes mind, once a decision is
made. |
Great creativity, focused
strongly on artistic achievement. "I would rather
shoot myself than have my work dictated to by users". |
VISIONARY |
ACADEMIC |
| Originator and protective
owner of concept. Has a dream. Can be
blind to its flaws. "It's my baby. You can cry if
you want to." |
Design by prolific
thinking. Rationale based on a lot of research. Liable to late changes of tack
because of additional insights. |
TECHIE |
EXPERT |
| Technical wizard.
Lives by plans. Resists changes.
May prejudge usability input as being out of touch or
too difficult to implement. |
Knows about
usability. Has very strong ideas about what will
make the design usable, and is more than happy to tell
people about them. |
RELAXED |
CLUELESS |
Quietly confident that
project will deliver. Relies on team.
Wants solutions not problems. Can be so
hands-off that usability issues only surface late.
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And doesn't know it.
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Of course, you won't be clueless (after all, you're reading this!).
If you do recognise something from these styles in your own way of
working, it doesn't imply that usability isn't one of your goals.
But it does mean that much conventional usability input just isn't right for you.
What can you do about it? Well, that's where we come in...
helping people do it better.
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