uxstudio

The Economist has an excellent series of articles on how difficult technology is to use. The topics covered include: complexity, ubiquitous computing, simplicity, enterprise data integration, outsourcing, web services, featuritis, anthropological research as the basis for product design, and a whole lot more.

I say, that it’s relatively easy to design a small-scale system like the iPod/iTunes when you can start with a clean slate, and your executive management understands the value of a simple and elegant design language and–more importantly–demands it.

Most of what we suffer with in technology today is the result of cobbling, tinkering, and an emphasis on technology driven design. Technologists need to focus on understanding the limitations and constraints of average users, and designing for the everyday, simple and ubiquitous applications in which our products have to function.