Selling usability
We talked about how many different people ‘buy’ usability – the boss, project manager, developers, marketing managers, graphic designers, consumers/end-users. And we identified that usability can mean different things to all these different people.
One topic we ended on (before we went to the bar at the Arnolfini) was how there is a difference between consumers and end-users.
Or to put it another way, what people want before and after they buy “interactivity” changes.
Stuart and I suggested that consumers want features and (anticipated) experience when they are about to buy something, but that once they have bought it they actually want simplicity and control. Is this right?
Certainly, it is the type of “disharmony” that irrational humans are well capable of sustaining without even thinking about it.
Ultimately, I think this is driving to two themes in software marketing: modular and adaptive systems. Here are two examples:
1) Companies repackaging features from large and complex products (e.g. Adobe Photoshop) as more simpler products (e.g. Photoshop Elements)
2) Companies and third-party suppliers providing “Pick-your-own” feature sets (e.g. Basecamp and Basecamp extras)
About the author
Giles has been making products more usable for over fifteen years. He was President of the UK Usability Professionals’ Association from 2003-2007 and speaks frequently on usability in the UK and overseas. He writes on usability for Revolution magazine and was one of the editors of the PAS 78 accessibility guide from the British Standards Institute. Email Giles, or call +44 (0)117 946 3930
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