The lonliness of the Graphical User Interface designer...

[The Big Glee Bopper]

Just a few observations and the qualifier that I really can't figure the 
context or irony of whatever Michael is trying to say.

On Fri, 1 Dec 1995, Michael Alan Dorman wrote:

> 
> So -- I've read _The Visual Display of Quantitative Information_, I've
> read _Tog on Interface_. It shouldn't be a big deal -- I try to do what
> seems to make sense. 

This isn't what Tog says. he has major sections on scenario-based design 
and paper prototype development which says _don't_ try to make sense, ask 
users.

> _Then_--once I've invested tons of work in fleshing out the proposal--and
> only then can I actually get opinions out of people. 

Again this is not what Tog says -- major mistaken approach.

> Even then most of the people I've worked with are frighteningly
> inarticulate when it comes to describing why they don't like something. 
> So I have to try and figure out what "It's just not integrated" means when
> you're talking about a picture next to some text.

Need to read "Programming as if People Matter" and pay particular 
attention to the chapter "Listen to your users but ignore what they have 
to say" This isn't as oxymoronic as it sounds. It's look for patterns time.

> Of course, by the time I've been able to coax something worth hearing out
> of these people (a long arduous process involving you doing everything up
> to and including constructing sentences for the individual), I no longer 
> have time to make any changes.

Nope, not the way to proceed. If they are tongue tied and spell bound 
it's probably because you are jargoning them to death. No Tog here!
> 
> So, have you always given your programmers explicit, concrete designs
> before having them produce an interface? 

Rapid prototyping is what Tog would say.

> Once they have, are you sure to provide them with lucid, concise
> critiques? 

This should be provided in focus groups by users. If they say it sucks, 
then it sucks and you have to fix it.

Again, I don't get the context of whatever Michael is saying so I am 
just responding.

--Thom