>
> The thing with users is that they're not actually any good at telling
> you what they want, but they are extremly good at telling you what
> they don't want. This is why feedback has become so integral to our
> various development processes (be it software or otherwise) and
> project methodology. Unfortunately through this it becomes much harder
> to see that you should be aiming for removing it alltogether in
> working tightly with the users instead.
>
When I was a software developer, before I became a library student, I
referred to this phenomenon as "Bring me a rock." My customer gives me
vague and incomplete requirements, effectively tell me, "Bring me a
rock." So I bring him the rock that I think he wants, and he tells me,
"No, not that rock. Bring me another rock." Iterate forever.
One way to speed up this cycle somewhat was to build a simulation that
looks and feels like the real thing, and let the user play with that
for a while. Changes are a lot simpler to make in a simulation.
I suppose that in the world of Web development, which I am only just
beginning to dip my toes into, it's often just as easy to build the
real thing. But maybe there is still a place for simulations when
designing a user interface, for example?
--
Sharon M. Foster
Technical Support
Cheshire Public Library
104 Main Street
Cheshire, CT 06410
http://www.cheshirelibrary.org
Received on Fri May 04 2007 - 05:04:52 EDT