User-Centered Design

This reading was quite interesting. The evaluation of Mac computers was very accurate. Since consumers have become so accustomed to using PCs, Macs are now foreign to most people. PC users often require a tutorial for simple navigation through basic Mac screens. This proves that simplifying the interface makes it harder for users who have already mastered using a computer the difficult way. So, which way is best?

I wholeheartedly agreed with the section on manuals. They almost never seem to convey what they should. I purchased Dreamweaver for Dummies and it did make me feel like the dummy. Instead of walking you through the steps of creating a design, the book would read, “click here to create a style.” It would be nice to get an explanation of what a style sheet is and its purpose before knowing how to create one. I had used Dreamweaver before and I was completely lost while trying to create the graphics in the manual. There is absolutely no way a person who had never used the program before would learn how simply by reading this book. The “Help” menu built into Dreamweaver is even more difficult to follow than Dreamweaver for Dummies.

As stated, automation is extremely risky. One example of this was Y2K, then again recently when the time for daylight savings changed in the spring. So many things can potentially go wrong when computers are down. Although these devices are convenient, they can become a crutch if we become solely dependent on them.

It is important as well to make technical upgrades simple. I feel that Windows has done a great job of this. I went from using Windows 95, 98, ME, XP and now Vista. I learned to use each operating system simply by clicking on the same areas and finding what new information was available. As the reading states, I am the queen of forming my own explanations for the way things work (I too thought the wall mount on my stereo was an antenna), so if Windows developed a system that was easy for me to follow, they’ve definitely attained their goal of simplicity.