10.06.11
The User Experience
[Cartoon]
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in technology we can forget that people do not think like computers. People like things well-ordered, but done with the flair of an artist. They want things that work that are also appealing. As Frank Lloyd Wright said, “Form follows function.”
The cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the decor in our homes are all examples of the mix of function and form. We are human beings and we are comfortable with a well-balanced mix. So how have we done the mix with the applications that provide us with access to computing functionality?
Over time the computer interface has moved away from keying in commands to pointing at things with our mouse. This interface is similar to a small child that has not yet learned to speak. They point at things and make noises to let you know what they want. With the computer we point and click.
With touch screens, the mouse goes away, but we are still small children pointing at things. When we point and don’t get what we want, we are likely to yell at the computer about our dissatisfaction. Sometimes we don’t even know where to point. It is as though the interface has hidden the very thing we want behind something that we must point to first.
Many organizations don’t recognize the dissatisfaction that most have with computer interfaces. They have left the human interface development of application systems to the technical development staff. It is no wonder that these same technicians are required to heroically save the moment when one of the children has found themselves lost in the maze of pointable objects.
Some more understanding organizations have a separate group responsible for the look and feel of an application. These groups often go by the name of “User Experience”. The people in these groups are like the engineers that design how an automobile looks and how the dashboard is laid out. They do their job understanding that the function is defined by the application, but the form is designed by them. They are artists with the flair for providing what we like to see.
Enterprise Architects have always recognized the need for applications that have a form that works to the advantage of the individuals that use them rather than being solely focused on the interface functionality. These architects operate with the same approach as Frank Lloyd Wright. They know that form follows function. They know the technologies and they know people do not think like computers. They know that applications should deliver services in a form that does not treat individuals like children. They applaud organizations that take the user experience serious.
The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.
