belated wisdom for the week

[kaigou]

If there is ever any experience that should remind website and applications developers that they ignore the current site or application at their peril, it should be the experience of test-driving new cars. Even the most open-minded and innovative person turns into a two-year old when test driving. The steering column is too small. The dashboard's not the same. Where's the damn A/C button? Holy crap, I just sent the radio's volume to eighty, and I just wanted to change stations! Why won't the boot open?

Whine, whine, whine, and it all boils down to: this isn't what I'm used to.

It's amazing to me -- considering I've spent a good part of my life listening to people gripe about such things in terms of interfaces -- that sometimes I come so close to forgetting that. Theoretically change is good... but only if it's subtle, and intelligent, change. It must actually improve something. Otherwise, it's just an annoying distraction that constitutes nothing more than having to learn a new, if equally inefficient, habit. And why waste time on that? Just keep with the same old inefficient habits, and save your energy for adapting to a change that's truly worthwhile.

*goes back to whining about wheelbases and torque and suspensions*

Maybe the next time I deal with developers or clients pushing so hard for fancy-schmancy new tech for no reason other than it's flashy... I should arrange to meet at a nearby car dealership and force them all to adopt the mindset that they must purchase a new car, and to test-drive with that in mind. Let's see how much they complain about the new not pleasing them as much as the old, unh-hunh.

(Not that I'd expect it to really bring them to their senses, but at least I'd be amused in the meantime.)

Comments

[kaigou.livejournal.com]

I agree -- the closer I can get a design to the original (but with subtle improvements), the better I'm doing. And I have no problem with someone saying, "but I'm fine with this, why do I need [read: need to waste time learning] that?" Given I have the same iPod I bought four years ago and am currently moaning endlessly about the notion of replacing a 12-year old car, I can totally relate to people reluctant to change and who do fine with the less-than-latest.

That's what makes projects like the current one so damn hard: the original design is so bad, so thoroughly maldesigned, that any change would be an improvement -- but that change comes with a massive shift in interface at the same time, and I know for certain that's going to cause huge, huge problems in getting folks to adopt it.

I feel like I'm taking an old Bug, tearing it all the way down to the wheelbase, and rebuilding it into a Honda Accord. Nothing too fancy in the overall scheme of things, mind you -- we're not talking a new Mercedes -- but it's still a long, long way from a bucket on wheels with no headroom and a dashboard held on with duct tape.

Normally I'm less intense on strategies for adoption, but this time, looks like it's going to be a big part of it: what to change, and how often, to slowly move the existing interface towards the final/improved version. I suspect I'll be having headaches for months over this...

[talheres.livejournal.com]

Trying to make it simple as possible without dumbing it down (I'll do my best not to get into a big rant about the Gnome project, dammit) sounds like the best idea, but it's not like I know anything about programming, much less how to run a project.

Has there been attempts to make cross software comparisons with similar applications yet?

I suspect I'll be having headaches for months over this...

I don't know if I'd bother to buy it, but I think there should be books about the process of successfully getting through these kinds of problems from people who have been there. It might be pretty useful for other designers, so I think it might be a good idea if you and other involved in these things eventually write and publish about it.

[kraehe.livejournal.com]

I keep hearing stories from our IT department about our new audio storage/delivery system. We're transitioning from an old, bad system to a new, better system, but the users (who have a LOT of clout) keep insisting that the new system's interface look just like the old one because that's what they're used to.

Not good. This is sure to result in a ton o' bugs.