In some cases, however, ignorance on the part of the engineers (especially those with any say in the architecture of the application) of the users' needs can se

In some cases, however, ignorance on the part of the engineers (especially those with any say in the architecture of the application) of the users' needs can seriously damage the user experience for the life of the design. I face numerous examples in the sports-ticketing world all the time. For example, if you are going to a football game, what is the most important consideration to a fan? I say the most common priorities are: 1) nearness to midfield ("What yardline are my seats nearest?") 2) sun exposure ("Will I be baking in the sun all day? Do I need sunscreen? Will I be looking into the sun when trying to watch play on the field for a portion of the game?") 3) home vs. visitor side 4) elevation ("Am I low enough to see the players? Am I high enough to not be obscured by bench and media personnel?") If you're designing the site/app and you've never been to a (an American) football game, you won't know these criteria are important.