The Importance of User-Centered Design

CNET has a story about the growing importance of fields like human-computer interaction, usability, and human factors engineering.  As someone who has done work in this area, I heartily agree.

Wonder why YouTube skyrocketed in popularity in less than two years?

One obvious reason is that the video-sharing Web site has kept it simple. YouTube doesn't require a video player download or a special account just to watch a video. With just a click on a link, a video is up and running in a few seconds. It's a people-friendly design, and that attention to simplicity has paid off.

Experts in the field of so-called human-computer interaction, however, say good design like the YouTube interface is the exception, not the rule. For every slick Apple iPod, there are a dozen washing machines with a baffling array of buttons. And for every simple TiVo interface, there are umpteen TV remote controls that look like something out of NASA's Mission Control.

Now companies, universities and even government agencies like NASA are investing time and dollars as they take a hard look at how people interact with technology.

Link: The human factor in gadget, Web design | CNET News.com,

via Usability In The News: The human factor in gadget, Web design.

Don Norman's The Design of Everyday Things is a great introduction to the ideas behind HCI.

Comments

[shrk79]

This is a timely blog. The popularity of lots of knobs, buttons, and switches seems to be a thing of the past. I still remember playing with my grandmother’s simple turntable which had at least a dozen different switches.

As the capability and complexity of modern devices continue to grow, the user human interface demands a user centered design. There are several companies with products that offer the exceptional human interface, but I have to agree with you that it isn’t the norm yet, just the exception.

I think consumerism will drive a lot of the push for improved human interface design.

[Web Developer - Shom]

You are very true that in now a day every government are researching ways how people can interact more with technology and I think due to this research most of the machines, specially the electronic goods holds such a great amount of controlling buttons that we often get confused about it's original function. In my opinion people will interact with such machines which can do a lot of things without much complication.

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