SIGIA-L Mail Archives: RE: SIGIA-L: IA > credentials
RE: SIGIA-L: IA > credentials
From: Gunnar Swanson (gunnar_at_pobox.com)
Date: Mon Aug 14 2000 - 11:46:12 EDT
I mistakenly sent my reply to Gordon rather than the list. I'll now bring
the conversation back.
Gordon,
>are you saying that websites should be designed to be "fun to look at" as
>opposed to intrinsically functional?
1) No. That would be making the same mistake that I accuse Flanders and
Nielsen of. It would be as stupid to say "websites should be designed to be
x" as it would be to say "photographs should be y."
Should all photographs be colorful? Serious? In sharp focus? Examples of
tight grain structure? Evenly lit? Good color matches to the original
subject? Easy to reproduce on a printing press? Of course some photos
should be some of those but only an idiot would assume that, say, the goals
of a police evidence photo, the goals of a fashion magazine photo, the
goals of a gay porno image, the goals of a wedding photo, and the goals of
a family's vacation snapshots were or should be one and the same.
Is there a cute Latin phrase that means "QED by analogy"? QEDBA--Flanders
and Nielsen are idiots.
2) What do you mean by "intrinsically functional"? Isn't functionality by
definition extrinsic? Both of the gentlemen in question seem to have your
assumption, that there is a single function and that the job of web
designers is serve it.
As pompous as quoting oneself might seem--"Yeah, and people go to the
Armani store because the tags in the clothes are easy to read."
Gunnar
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Gunnar Swanson [mailto:gunnar_at_pobox.com]
>Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 4:20 PM
>To: Gordon Montgomery
>Subject: RE: SIGIA-L: IA > credentials
>
>
>Gordon Montgomery wrote:
>>kinda what I feel too...
>
>in reply to John Grotting's:
>>I would put Vincent into the category of "self-proclaimed-experts".
>
>In repsones to Gordon Montgomery's:
>>http://www.websitesthatsuck.com
>>Anybody have any input on Vincent Flanders credentials?
>>I'm thinking of getting him as a guest speaker on Usability and IA.
>
>While often amusing, Vincent Flanders makes the same mistake that Jacob
>Nielsen makes which is the same mistake they often accuse the suckmeisters
>of--forgetting that the user is not necessarily like you. Flanders' main
>warning for quite some time was against any sort of cryptic navigation,
>dubbed "saturnic" after its use on Saturn's site. He, like Nielsen, assumed
>that anyone going to a website wants to get a specific piece of information
>which, if delivered promptly and clearly will result in a purchase.
>
>Yeah, and people go to the Armani store because the tags in the clothes are
>easy to read.
>
>I don't remember if the Saturn site had a search function to let someone
>who just wanted to find out engine displacement or tire brand (there's no
>reason that a website can't address more than one problem), but buying a
>car is not a simple, rational choice. Involving people is vital. My
>suspicion is that the part of Saturn's market that would shop on the web
>was not disturbed or confused by "saturnic navigation."
>
>Gunnar
>
>note new information:
>----
>Gunnar Swanson Design Office
>536 Catalina Street
>Ventura CA 93001-3625
>
>v: +1 805 444 4532
>f: +1 805 715 2005
>e: gunnar_at_pobox.com
>
>director, multimedia program
>California Lutheran University
>v: +1 805 493 3241
>e: gswanson_at_clunet.edu
note new information:
----
Gunnar Swanson Design Office
536 Catalina Street
Ventura CA 93001-3625
v: +1 805 444 4532
f: +1 805 715 2005
e: gunnar_at_pobox.com
director, multimedia program
California Lutheran University
v: +1 805 493 3241
e: gswanson_at_clunet.edu
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