Thursday, October 05, 2006

Perception is Reality

Maybe it is because I've spent so much time at work concentrating on system integration, and server-side design patterns, but it seems to me that the majority of "enterprise" developers (including me), don't know diddly squat about compelling user interactions.

So recently I've been taking in the wisdom of people who specialize in this sort of thing. I got started with the folks at 37 Signals. They have a blog called Signal vs. Noise that elaborates on all things design. Good Stuff.

Being an Enterprise Architect, I am a big fan of design patterns. That is why I was really intersted in seeing Yahoo's Design Patterns . They do a nice job of not only describing the pattern but showing it in action with animations.

Let's face it. Perception is reality. You can have a really great set of functionality, but if the site is hard to use and confusing to your users, it stinks. Conversely, mediocre functionality with a compelling user experience will be perceived as a great site.

No comments: