FAQ > Interaction Design Interview > Wha'ts an analogy for the non-technical reader to understand your work?
I often use the idea of hiring an architect to help you design and build a home as an analogy for what I do with software. In short, there is a qualitative design aspect to software that normal "requirements gathering" or "business analysis" doesn't adequately address. What I try to do is help the client uncover and articulate those issues so that the final product is what they expect.
Just like you can have a house built that matches your needs (4 bedrooms, 3 baths, etc) but isn't what you want to live in, many, many software applications are built that meet the requirements, but are not tools that users want to use. And many times that user dislike results in low utilization and lost money.
Using this analogy the three principles I used to guide my work map out like:
Structure: - foundation and engineering blueprints
Behavior: - floorplan, appliances, door and window location, special-use rooms, etc
Presentation: - finish materials, paint colors, design elements
Last updated on March 29, 2010 by Ralph Lord