Media: Wall Street Journal takes on the Complexity of Home Appliances

Reflecting on the degree to which the complexity of the PC is being replicated in home appliances Wall Street Journal columnist Lee Gomes sees a 'new epidemic of man-machine alienation' being promoted by their manufacturers. He notes wryly that '"profound simplicity' would be the best feature, but manufacturers seem to think that sales tag wouldn't move a lot of product.' Gomes argues that the answer to these problems is good design but that 'the solution isn't always just to make things simple', noting that 'in doing so, you often deprive them of some of their usefulness'. 'Sometimes, good designers will have the courage of their convictions to force people to spend time teaching themselves how to use something worthwhile,' he observes, adding that 'most people don't mind learning a new tool if they sense that in doing so they are encountering some overall logic and design.'

Associated Link: WSJ: Appliances Have Become Like PCs: Too Complex for Their Own Good (subscription needed)

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.