Media: Demystifiying Usability asks how Usable is Jakob Nielsen?

Jakob Nielsen has an unhealthy monopoly on Usability Consciousness, says Frank Spillers in his blog, Demystifying Usability. He looks at the history of this rise to power, linking to a range of critiques that have been published over the last few years.

Is it just sniping to criticise Nielsen in public? Possibly an element of envy informs some attacks on the man, but it is his stranglehold on usability: what the field means, what it should offer and how it should be done, that drives most commentators to challenge him. Spillers comes into this latter group, assessing the impact of one dominant voice.

Insightfully, he shows how Nielsen has set a hectoring tone for the industry. Even though the man himself doesn't talk this way with clients, the tone of his marketing materials has influenced a generation:

'One of the things I have noticed about people who take Nielsen's teachings at face value is that they end up communicating like him. The blaming, critical and self-righteous tones that characterize Nielsen's articles and interviews are not to be confused with how a professional usability consultant ought to communicate.'

Associated Link: Demystifying Usability: How Usable is Jakob Nielsen?

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