The poverty of user-centered design
Andrew Dillon, dean of the School of Information (“iSchool”) at the University of Texas, writes on his blog InfoMatters that he finds “the term ‘user-centered’ to have little real meaning anymore”, since “truly understanding the user seems beyond both established methods and established practices.”
“The set of methods employed by most user-centered professionals fails to deliver truly user-centric insights. The so called ’science’ of usability which underlies user-centeredness leaves much to be desired. It rests too much on anecdote, assumed truths about human behavior and an emphasis on performance metrics that serve the perspective of people other than the user.”
(via InfoDesign)
