dchase Weblog Entry

Is the practice of software engineering for business or consumer applications different from other forms of industrial design? In both practices we manipulate technology so that it serves human needs. In a paper for the Communication Research Institute of Australia, David Sless illustrates good functional design with a brushed stainless door at a subway station. It's a beautiful door that blend seamlessly into its environment. While well designed from an aesthetic perspective, it's not well designed for human interaction. It has a handle, but it opens by pushing. It also requires additional signage to inform people what the door is actually for.

The bulk of the paper, however, is really about a fundamental methodology for successful design. In short, successful design of technology that humans will interact with cannot occur without human interaction. Sless estimates that 50% of the effort in a design project focuses on politics. The LEAN development framework recognizes this with it's inclusion of a distinct negotiation phase and an emphasis on collaborative development.

(CRIA paper discovered via good experience)