The coming predominance of user experience and technical communications

[Beth Agnew]

_Somebody_ with a user advocate focus should absolutely be involved in
improving user interfaces. But the changes in MS Office are problematic
because of its widespread installed base and the number of users who have
been working with it, as is, for more than 10 years. 

How would you like it if GM redesigned the interior of your car, moving
everything on the dashboard and steering column around such that when you
wanted to turn on the windshield wipers you got an FM station instead? (Cars
are a bad example because their interface is actually pretty good, but you
get the point -- changing an interface to which people have long been
accustomed is going to cause more user problems than it initially solves.

The new WYGIWYS interface tool ribbon concept in Office is fine for new
users who do not have to relearn where to find everything. There's a
productivity hit while you become accustomed to the new look and placement
of functions.

Ergonomic and usable designs of interfaces are sorely needed. Microsoft
could be commended for being brave enough to take that step. However, they
seemed to forget the user in the process. How hard is it to give the user
the option of selecting the classic interface or the new one? 
--Beth

Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
416-491-5050 x3133

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+beth.agnew=senecac.on.ca at lists.techwr-l.com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+beth.agnew=senecac.on.ca at lists.techwr-l.com] On
Behalf Of Chris Borokowski
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 11:08 AM
To: techwr-l
Subject: The coming predominance of user experience and technical
communications

...

It seems to me this is the kind of role technical communicators/writers
should get involved with. We've got tons of technology, but how much of
it is slow and inefficient and tiresome because the interface sucks?