Usability abuse?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Time to jump back in here. First off, there's no question that there is 
an emerging profession of usability testing and that there are 
usability experts who make products better. I'd say the profession 
isn't yet nearly as mature as (say) medicine or engineering, but it's 
headed there fast. Moreover, there's no question that someone who has 
studied usability and knows how to assess and improve it can greatly 
improve a product.

The more interesting question is whether an amateur can do the same 
thing. The answer is more complicated, but may surprise you. Andrew 
Plato wrote: <<I can use a car, does that mean I am a auto mechanic? 
No. A car is a tool. Just like a software application. My ability to 
use a tool does not mean I understand or are skilled to start 
redesigning or repairing that tool.>>

This is certainly true, as far as it goes. But let's go one step 
further: You can certainly tell the designers that the steering wheel 
it too hard to turn, that you can't reach the radio without taking both 
hands off the wheel, that you can't see into the "blind spot" when you 
turn your head (because of support pillars, for example), that the sun 
visor doesn't actually block the sun for key parts of the day (as is 
the case on my Honda Accord), and so on.

Think of this as being a canary in a coal mine: You may not be a 
usability expert, but you can certainly tell when something doesn't 
work well or at all, and ask an expert why and what can be done about 
it. You are also more of an expert in how _you_ use a tool than any 
product developer can ever be. If the way you work is broadly 
representative, and you experience problems, then many other users will 
experience similar problems--that makes you an expert in the use of the 
tool, and an expert judge of whether that tool is effective.

Similarly, if you do any maintenance on your car, you can explain 
obvious problems: the wrench used to remove the tires slips off the 
bolts, and provides insufficient leverage; the oil filter can't be 
reached by any normal mortal; the windshield washer reservoir is so 
awkwardly positioned that I spill half the jug when I refill it; the 
hood keeps falling down when I try to check the oil; I can't read the 
oil dipstick even in normal light, let alone when it's cloudy; etc. 
etc.

What's the common thread here? You don't have to be a usability expert! 
All you have to do is use the product. When you discover that you can't 
do something easily or at all, you can tell the designers what the 
problem is and why, then leave it to them to fix it. What a usability 
expert brings to the process is the ability to put you through your 
paces with the product in such a way that you'll stumble across the 
most important problems before the product ships.

Ironically, Andrew is an advocate of "just do it" rather than "just 
think about it". It's the "just doing it" (using the tool) that 
identifies the usability problems, not the "just thinking about it" 
(abstract usability theory). The latter can reduce the number of 
problems real users will encounter, but it's no substitute for actually 
using the product. That's where you find out how well your theory maps 
to the user's reality.

<<Typically, as writers become more and more familiar with a product, 
its design, the users, and the marketing, they become better situated 
to assist with usability. But those other issues are prerequistites. If 
you storm in on day one proclaiming your expertise as a usability guru, 
you're likely to be shoved into a corner and ignored.>>

This is certainly true; engineers and programmers are "prove it!" 
types, and simple claims won't be accepted until they recognize you as 
someone whose opinion is worth heeding. But if you can demonstrate a 
significant problem, both groups are usually delighted to solve the 
problem, whether or not you can suggest a solution. If you understand 
the situation well enough to propose a solution, so much the better. 
Some developers are very insecure and won't accept suggestions that 
might make them look less competent, but these individuals are 
relatively rare. Just state your case helpfully, as a team member, 
rather than proclaiming from a position of overt moral superiority.

--Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)


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