In this video interview, George Olsen, the founder of Boxes and Arrows, talks about about the role of usability, information access, and aesthetics in software development. He explains why "user-focused design" is a better term than "use
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Episode 18: The Fuzzy Front-End of Development
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The continuing DevSource Great Minds in Development video series has emphasized many of the "softer" issues of programming: usability, information access, and aesthetics. The rest of DevSource has plenty of hammer-and-nails "how-to" information, but it's important, too, to consider the wider questions, such as "how do I know if this app satisfies the user's needs, not just lets me tick off boxes on a feature checklist?" Keeping your nose to the grindstone gives you a sharp nose, but it also gives you a crick in your neck.
So, in our latest video interview, Mike Elgan speaks with George Olsen, cofounder of Boxes and Arrows, about the role of usability, information access, and aesthetics in software development.
In the video interview (you'll need Windows Media Player), Olsen explains why "user-focused design" is a better term than "user-centered design;" the impact of team size on design features and specialization; and what developers have to learn from product development and the marketing people who mumble about "branding." (Imagine that. Marketing people who have something useful to contribute to software development!)
Olsen also identifies one myth of software development that is wholly inaccurate, struggles with the difficulty of defining "informational architecture" (and the politics behind the difficulty), and identifies resources for developers who want to improve the design of the apps they build.
To watch the video in Windows Media Player, click here.
Watch all the videos in the Great Minds in Development series!
Tell us what you think of the video (and the series!) in the DevSource Forum.
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