Usability to the people

Wii remote
“There is an increased awareness around usability [in the user interface world], as many vendors realise the people using their technology really appreciate when technology works for them, not the other way around,” writes Ulrika Hedquist in an article in Computerworld.

[…] “Among the leaders in usability innovation are Google, Apple and Nintendo, but smaller institutions, like New Zealand’s own HIT Lab (Human Interface Technology) at the University of Canterbury, also contribute to the evolution.

Some of the big players with wider turning circles, such as Microsoft and IBM, are surprisingly fast to catch on to the usability trend. But you have got to wonder about Lotus Notes, though.

Websites are being built to be easy to read, navigate and interact with. Popular computers and devices are easily operated and have a minimum of buttons. […]

So many companies are showing us that “less is more”. Convenience and ease of use are hot. Complexity is so 2004. […]

The big driver is people. Technology is no longer limited to a privileged group that has the know-how. It’s becoming available to many other groups, for example children, older people and people with little technical experience. It is no surprise that Nintendo has sold over four million Wii units since the launch in November.

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(via Usability In The News)

One comment

  1. […] Ulrika Hedquist sull’articolo per Computerworld riscontra una crescente consapevolezza nel mondo delle interfacce utenti sul tema dell’usabilità: la gente è divenuta il motore principale da seguire. Le aziende hanno capito che la tecnologia non è ad appannaggio di una ristretta cerchia di esperti, ma sta divenendo sempre più accessibile per una più ampia popolazione di utenti, dai bambini agli anziani. […]

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