Re: Assumptions vs Usability Testing

[John Posada <jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Sorry, Janet...but it is possible that some users are uninformed and
THEY need to be changed, not the web site.

The second day I openned a web page, I learned that buttons were to
be pressed and that underlined graphics in a different color were to
be clicked. In fact, my gripe is people that underline web content
for effect...I keep clicking on the stuff.

I'm all for making things easy for the user...but maybe this user
needs to know HOW to use a web page if they are going to use a web
browser.  I'd rather explain that a button is to be pressed rather
than change a web site.

At some point we need to get on with our job for the benefit of the
98% that "get it" and not babysit the 2% that don't know what buttons
are for. 

No matter what you do, you areen't going to make everything clear toi
everyone all the time.

Personaly, I was impressded-as-hell with how easy the site was to get
around in.

> me, a perfectly intelligent person, simply had a different
> perspective and
> *saw* the page differently than I see it. He saw the "index button"
> as a
> heading, rather than a link, and thought the entries were under a
> heading
> called Index. Thus, the statement that he looked through the Index
> and
> didn't see anything about LEDs. He was actually looking through the
> TOC.  I



=====
John Posada
Technical Writer
mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com
732-259-2874

Only in America... do they have drive-up ATM machines
with Braille lettering

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