PanelSoft

User Interfaces and Usability for Embedded Systems

Feedback to 'The Usability Dilemma'- Murphy's Law, August 2004

return to Murphy's Law

I think one thing to concider is that the user and the costomer are NOT neccecerily the same. Especially when it comes to "professional" programs (User interfaces).

Niall's response: I completely agree. Often, especialy with industrial equipment the paying customer may never actually use the device. Unfortunately this can slant the marketing of the device and take emphasis away from the usability features, Obviously, to be in business you have to consider sales first and foremost, but the practice of applying good usablity techniques should not depend on who is payingthe bill.

Sometimes I wonder if we can design more than we can use most of the time. -- I tuned my Ham radio reciever to an Airline company chanel to show my son who is interested in being a pilot what pilots do. I was surprised to hear one pilot asking if anyone knew how a certain function on a certain unit worked! We can build things more complex than even the pro's can master quite often it seems.