Lost Remote » The human factor in design

The human factor in design

David Johnson February 12th, 2007

I have a marketing buddy whose sig file is a Steve Jobs quote, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Proof that my buddy gets it, and so does C|Net’s Stefanie Olsen in this piece that delves into why well-designed Web products and tech gadgets are winning in a more competitive marketplace. Companies everywhere are now desperate to get it, but we are slow to educate ourselves on just what “user design” is. What makes for “good” design may be subjective, but simplicity of use is key to success. It is clear that well-designed products YouTube and iPods are the exception rather than the norm, and they win because they are simple to use. “Design is starting to change who succeeds and who fails. A few years ago that wasn’t true. If I had a better algorithm, I would win,” says a NASA senior research scientist.

4 Comments Add your own

1. Patrick | February 12th, 2007 at 1:05 pm

All good points, and remember to keep the programmers AWAY from designing
2. David Martin | February 12th, 2007 at 7:52 pm

Spot-on! Tom Peters has been suggesting to the point of rant the critical importance of design.
3. Cory | February 12th, 2007 at 10:34 pm

And keep TV people away from TV websites.

I believe that making a news site clean and easy to navigate is nearly as important as providing great coverage. Not quite, but almost.

But many local TV sites haven’t learned that yet.
4. thedetroitchannel | February 13th, 2007 at 6:26 am

cory, if anything, i see local tv sites moving backwards in many cases.

seriously.

i wonder if the need the protect the mothership is so great that it’s “circle the wagons”.

not gonna work when the invading indians are already ahead of you.