Digital-Web September Interview

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2001 at 8:54 AM | Category: Meryl's Notes Blog 1 comment

I finally got a little time to slowly read and absorb Ben Henick’s Digital-Web interview with Carbon IQ, a consultancy firm known for being one of the first User Experience-focused firms in San Francisco.

Henick hit home with me when he started off by saying, “It can be said fairly that user experience as a formal discipline is not something that gets a lot of focus from our audience, if only because it’s impossible to be an expert at everything.” I fear becoming a specialist at one thing because it may or may not get me opportunities or it becomes passe’. Yet, trying to learn a little bit of everything is becoming too much with flux of tools out there waiting for us to grab and grasp.

In defining the objectives of their work, Carbon IQ responded in saying that “the objective of our work is to understand who the user is and what their needs are by going out into the world and observing them, bringing that info back to the development team, designing the site’s blueprints – the site map, the interaction design, the organization of the information-and then testing what we’ve built as well. Understand, architect, test. Lather, rinse, repeat!” This is classic process methodology and how it can help with a Web design project from start to finish while ensuring meeting customer needs. One of the interviewees did indicate that the hottest thing was methodology with a one-size-fits all mentality. This is wrong. Process methodology is NOT one-size-fits all. It needs to be adapted to each company’s needs. Carbon IQ came up with its own grab-bag of techniques that can be customized for each project. Read more on this — they got it going.

The interview appropriately covers the Internet’s heyday and transition to today’s environment of slow economy and smaller design budgets. Carbon IQ is right in saying the client education works both ways. Clients learn about their customers and the need to “slow down” while Web design firms learn about the client’s business.

On Flash – I agree with their feedback that Flash is a great tool and there’s much to be done with it… but it needs interface standards. Web pages using Flash operate differently and it takes longer for the user to figure it out. Not a good thing.

The interview offers much insight into information architecture, user experience, customers, and more. In the end it’s all about communication. If you don’t get this message, then what are you doing in this business?

India

I know little about the Indian culture, but not due to lack of interest. Just simply because I’d love to learn about many cultures and just haven’t put a priority on it. So when someone I know travels and writes about it, I learned a bit reading about the experience. Stephanie’s notes on her recent 6-week adventures to India are up if you’re looking to learn about this fascinating culture. Yikes, the Internet cafe had a standardized 101 key keyboard… that was missing two important keys that made me appreciate my keyboard!

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1 comment

  • Posted by Gabe on March 18th, 2002, 11:06 AM

    thanks for the kind words, meryl. we like to think that lessons have been learned since the years of arrogant service firms steamrolling clients.

    if you’d ever like to hear more about carbon IQ, drop us a line. we love meeting new people!

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