The End of Usability Culture, Redux

The first article was fascinating and provided a lot of things to think about. The author has stumbled upon a concept we haven’t thought about, but it makes sense. However, there are still many sites that are not usable.

The article states we have become so obsessed with usability that we have forgotten about the experience. It uses Starbucks as an example. But quite honestly, I go there for the delicious (and I know, too many calories) Frappes. I can’t think of a time when I stayed at Starbucks longer than to just pick up my drink and go.

I believe the answer, like a good diet, is balance. Find a balance between usability and “environment” (look and feel). Usability is NOT going away, but we might see a trend in the improvement of the look and feel of sites. However, think about the Web sites you go to… Amazon, Google, Peet’s, and even Starucks. If there weren’t any words or a logo on it — would you recognize them? I say, “Yes.” [ Read more and comment. ]