Since I work on helping to design what is fairly complex software, i'd like to chime in on this.
i agree that fixing bugs is not the same as fixing design. however, anyone who has worked at a startup with scant resources, aggressive time lines and so forth, will also tell you that you're often faced with tough choices: - take X months to design the perfect system - not an option for a company that has to ship or release a product yesterday - implement a design that will work - learn from it and try to improve it based on real-world use - not ideal but the most practical given limited time and resources On Dec 3, 2007 12:29 PM, Russell Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Excerpted from a post on my blog: > > http://www.dexodesign.com/2007/11/fixing-bugs-is-not-equivalent-to-fixing.html > > Would love feedback fromn IxDA'ers... > > > [snip] > > At Dux2007 <http://www.dux2007.com/> in Chicago, I attended a workshop > where > I asked the group why we don't design software like we do hardware? Why > don't we spend more time in prototypes, mockups, etc. One of the > attendees, > a software designer... said "because it's cheap to fix software problems - > all you have to do is make a download available that resolves the bugs." > > That's what so many executives are really thinking, aren't they? Build it, > test it, get it > out the door, and then ship fixes as necessary. Time to market, fix later. > > And herein lies the mistake: fixing bugs is not equivalent to fixing > design. > > True, bugs in software can be fixed easier and cheaper than bugs in > hardware. But we're not talking about bugs--we're talking about DESIGN. > You > can't fix a design with a download! Design is the essence of the product, > how the product interacts with users, the personality of the product, the > metaphors, etc. > > Attempting to fix design in an update results in confusion, retraining, > potential loss of trust, etc. The changes are too significant. Therefore > redesign is often delayed until the next major release of the product, > resulting in additional costs, potential loss of customer loyalty and the > opportunity to "lock them in", etc. > > So, yes, software bugs can be remedied easier than bugs in hardware. But > design problems in software are no easier or cheaper to resolve than > hardware design flaws, and therefore we (software designers, creators, > builders) must adopt better processes, principles, and expertise towards > designing better software products from the start. > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > Russell Wilson > Vice President, Product Design > NetQoS, Inc. > ________________________________________________________________ > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > -- -------------------------------------------------- www.flyingyogi.com -------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
