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I'm not sure how to say this without coming off as a smart-ass, but isn't "used at Microsoft for UX design" more of an example of what not to do? Last time I tr

by andreyf 16y ago

I'm not sure how to say this without coming off as a smart-ass, but isn't "used at Microsoft for UX design" more of an example of what not to do? Last time I tried to use a Windows machine, I ended up shutting it down by accident (was trying to switch users). And don't get me started on Phone 7. The best UX design, in my experience, is simply done by a smart imaginative person who uses the product in a way similar to the users. Everything else is padding for syllabi/books/industry workshops.

derefr 16y ago
> Everything else is padding for syllabi/books/industry workshops. I would say, more, that UX design tools are made to let people collaborate on a design. They're useless for a "smart imaginative person" because said person has no need for collaboration.
- andreyf 16y ago
  Good point. It gives a common language, common metrics, etc. I suppose my argument is, then, that good design shouldn't be collaborated on, but should instead originate in the mind of a single auteur, without the constraint of having to convince or even explain anything to others. As soon as you necessitate UX decisions be communicable and convincing, you begin suffer the weaknesses of design-by-committee.
  - derefr 16y ago
    Most real design-centered shops (like Apple) do something in between: a group of people gets together, agrees on requirements, then each goes off and conceives of their own solution(s) to the entire problem. Then, they meet up again, and use that "common design language" to each, in turn, advocate for their design.
aaronbrethorst 16y ago
Having worked on Visual Studio, I can't speak for either product you mention. I despise the Windows user experience, but that's really neither here nor there. > The best UX design, in my experience, is simply done by a smart imaginative person who uses the product in a way similar to the users I agree. Which is why these techniques tend to be less useful in startups: you're working on a product that is far more digestible in size than, say, Visual Studio or Windows. Hopefully you're building something that is of personal interest or applicability to you. edit: as long as we're picking on products the other person has never worked on, why is Picasa so incredibly ugly and hard to use? Same thing with the AdWords and AdSense consoles.

by andreyf 16y ago

derefr 16y ago

> Everything else is padding for syllabi/books/industry workshops. I would say, more, that UX design tools are made to let people collaborate on a design. They're useless for a "smart imaginative person" because said person has no need for collaboration.

andreyf 16y ago
Good point. It gives a common language, common metrics, etc. I suppose my argument is, then, that good design shouldn't be collaborated on, but should instead originate in the mind of a single auteur, without the constraint of having to convince or even explain anything to others. As soon as you necessitate UX decisions be communicable and convincing, you begin suffer the weaknesses of design-by-committee.
- derefr 16y ago
  Most real design-centered shops (like Apple) do something in between: a group of people gets together, agrees on requirements, then each goes off and conceives of their own solution(s) to the entire problem. Then, they meet up again, and use that "common design language" to each, in turn, advocate for their design.

aaronbrethorst 16y ago

Having worked on Visual Studio, I can't speak for either product you mention. I despise the Windows user experience, but that's really neither here nor there. > The best UX design, in my experience, is simply done by a smart imaginative person who uses the product in a way similar to the users I agree. Which is why these techniques tend to be less useful in startups: you're working on a product that is far more digestible in size than, say, Visual Studio or Windows. Hopefully you're building something that is of personal interest or applicability to you. edit: as long as we're picking on products the other person has never worked on, why is Picasa so incredibly ugly and hard to use? Same thing with the AdWords and AdSense consoles.