WSG Canberra, 28 March 2007
Just some notes on the Web Standards Group (WSG) meeting in Canberra this afternoon.
Shane Morris
User Experience Evangelist, Microsoft
Shane talked about designers and developers and particularly the problem of a lack of cooperation in the sense that designers and developers seem to work in their own spaces and actively avoid contact. We discussed why this is so, differences in experience, language and culture and how these problems affect product development. He talked about hybrid developers/designers, labeled “devigners” (which someone in the audience objected to) and the role of these people with multiple skill sets as negotiators, mediators and channels of communication.
An interesting discussion, although as one of these hybrid developers/designers myself I’m fairly well across all the issues that were raised; nothing really new there. As I mentioned to Shane afterwards, although an important role these “devigners” are somewhat similar to the “web designers” of the mid 90’s - the graphic designers with some HTML experience. We saw what happened there, and I think there is a risk of the latest iteration of this hybrid role falling into the same trap of sub-standard design or development.
If you’re a developer then presumably you’re good at development. If a designer then same for designing. A perfect 50/50 hybrid I believe would do no work at all but act in a consultative capacity - however I haven’t seen this. It’s always biased one way, and when we stray into the other territory where we have little experience and are in a position to produce code or design systems and UI then it’s not going to be as good as if designed by a “full time” designer or developer.
Microsoft home page
Shane’s blog
Craig Errey
Managing Director, PTG Global
Craig’s discussion had some really good stuff in it - I admit I struggled a bit but it was from being up since 5am, not because of the content of the presentation! The actual methodology presented is proprietary and therefore can’t be produced here, however basically the approach was to put in place a structure for the development of a user interface that went beyond usability and user experience and reached right back to requirements - and not only that, but also challenges the very strategy and business case for the development of a system.
A system may meet business requirements, may be usable, may be a good experience - but it can still be wrong. It may be working to inefficient processes and workflow, and looks at exploring the possibility of using the user interface to correct faults with workflow and with business and process knowledge and information.
Really good stuff - we looked at the Domain model and it’s use in UI design by logically identifying domains and their relationships. We looked at the Balanced Scorecard in the context of defining the underpinning strategy and case for system design, and from a psychological point of view the other factors that can make a system work - other than it simply working from a functional perspective; Craig used the 6 Cell Model to illustrate the individual, social and organisational components of the question “Why do people do what they do?” and how both motivation and ability is required in order to achieve a task.
A system may work, it may make things more efficient … unless people simply don’t want to use it, because they don’t like it or due to other factors.
Craig quickly wrapped his talk (which went about 20 minutes over time) with how workflows are abstract from the systems used, and how workflows can we logically broken up into screens and therefore user interfaces. Finished off by quickly going into a little more detail on the Domain model (also referred to in my texts as the Conceptual model) and answering a few questions about how this methodology is implemented, timeframes, application to Internet sites (as someone suggested this process seemed somewhat geared towards Intranets) and relationship with information architecture.
Great presentation - I got a lot out of it and will be researching some of these tools, such as the Balanced Scorecard to determine KPIs and such.
Notes
28 March: I’m one of the seven Gavin mentioned who’s completed the WSG survey 
1 April: Craig stopped by my blog today and left a message thanking me for the write up on his presentation. No worries Craig! Loved it.
1 April: Gary Barber has blogged further on the developers vs designers issue.
Finally - to the WSG organisers, Gavin and Ruth, thank you for putting this meeting together - great presentations, and good work on getting such a large crowd along!
April 6th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Thanks for the fab write up. I never seem to get around to posting promptly in my blog about these events, and when I do get the time….it’s too late! Thanks again.