Posted by Stuart Montgomery at 10:25 am
Why We Should Ignore Users
I only took some rough notes on this one, sorry, I was sleepy. Here’s what I got…
[Each panelist is taking 6 minutes to present their point of view, while the audience holds up given red or green cards in opposition or support, respectively, to their argument.]
Sarah Bloomer: You can’t ask users what they want. 60% of what users actually want is subconscious and users don’t know how to express it in your terms. People always have goals in their activities, but frequently cannot vocalize them.
In figuring out how your application will work, one way is to make “activity scenarios” which are narratives that detail how a potential user might use your product. The story can be made from real-life observations on how people use the existing product by watching and then writing down the steps they make using post-its.
Robert Hoekman: We should ignore users. Three example applications designed completely without user research have been very successful, with high sales and very low customer support calls. Users who voice opposition to certain features are often alone or wrong. After designing a product, then start listening to users, making sure to look for patterns in the feedback.
SXSW Diary has a better writeup with almost all of their talking points.
