“You gotta be careful too, because there are a lot of these research methods, like the rapid prototyping, like the ideation, like the brainstorming methods, like the ethnography, and so on, there is actually no real evidence that it makes a difference. Apple computer is a good example. You think they do design research? No. When I was at Apple, we did a lot of design research [...] We did a lot. We worried about all these fundamental things. We did user studies. We went to people’s homes. [...] You know what Steve jobs did when he arrived? He fired all of us! And guess what resulted? Better products! Which have revolutionized the way we use machines. And he fired the usability groups as well.” – Don Norman at DRC 2010
Watch the original video here:
Don Norman at IIT Design Research Conference 2010 from IIT Institute of Design on Vimeo.
This is an inflammatory conversation. Norman's view would definitely make UX practitioners panic. I think he as a master in this field was trying to remind UX designers one important and fundamental thing: think more about products. Know the products by numbers, know the products by technology, know the products by needs. UCD makes products better, but technology change makes products to the next level. Norman indicated that 99% of innovation is the incremental type (driven by UCD) and the big jump is rare (created by some freaking smart teenagers I think).
To all newbies and to myself-- Don't panic. Keep working hard on design and research, but at the same time make yourselves competitive technology wise. If you're a super genius then go follow Steve Jobs, but if you're smart do your best to make the world a better place :)
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