Media: WebWord interviews Isensee, Righi and Vredenburg

WebWord is carrying an interview with 'UCD innovators' Scott Isensee, Carol Righi and Karel Vredenburg on "Improving Business Through User-Centered Design". The authors of "User-Centered Design: An Integrated Approach" were interviewed by Kerrie Green, Hoover's Online usability manager, consultant and Austin UPA president.

By the thrid question, the interview is getting really interesting:

'Kerrie: "What's the difference between UCD and the development process currently used by most companies today?"

'Scott: "One major difference is our emphasis on the total customer experience. In most companies today, usability attention is given only to the user interface of a product. Often products fail, however, because of problems outside of the user interface. It is like a chain that is only as strong as its weakest link. In order for a product to be a great success, all aspects of the customer experience must be excellent and they must all fit together into a cohesive whole.

'Carol: "Again, to dovetail off Scott's response, our approach to UCD is multidisciplinary and addresses the total user experience. Many companies address usability as an isolated variable. This often leads to failure. Usability, in order to be a value-add, must be considered in light of the other aspects of the total user experience. Another way our approach is different is that the members of the multidisciplinary design team must work closely with one another. In many companies, the various specialties work in virtual isolation from one another. They throw the results of their efforts "over the wall" to the other specialists. The various factions may wind up going down different paths, making it difficult to reconcile sometimes very disparate visions for the product."

'Karel: "Actually, most companies still don't include the user in their development process at all. The ones that do often restrict themselves, as Scott and Carol point out, to a very limited aspect of the user experience, or only to user testing, and don't design for the user. Furthermore, they often still involve a user focus too late in the development process. Our integrated UCD approach as Scott and Carol point out focuses on the total customer experience, starting right at the beginning of the process and involving all disciplines that are necessary to design the total solution."'

The substantial piece goes on to explore how usability professionals can convince senior management that UCD is a more beneficial process with an improved return on investment.

Associated Link: WebWord: Improving Business Through User-Centered Design

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