flamebait below. caveat emptor.
> Question: Are there no usability experts at the Japanese manufacturers?
> We have a bunch of interaction designers here that could design better
> user experiences in their sleep. Is there something about the Japanese
> engineering culture that keeps interaction designers out of the design
> process?
>
If there is anybody on this ML whose sole job is usability testing (Japanese or
otherwise in Japan) please speak up now. Otherwise, let it be known that THERE
ARE NO USABILITY EXPERTS IN JAPAN. I back this up with my own experience using
Japanese software and keitais. Some of it is better than others as other MLers
have mentioned, but the vast majority just plain stinks. When I was working at
a certain e-commerce gaishikei based out of Austin, TX that shall go unnamed
here, usability testing was limited to determining that the softare I wrote
actually worked as it was supposed to. I know now that that wasn't usablility,
but functional testing.
I'm sure we all have opinions on how things are supposed to work, but is there
really anybody who tests software or hardware, who watches potential users as
they operate a given system, to make sure the average Joichi can use it on the
first go? Jeurgen, your company doesn't do usability testing for keitai as
much as it tests that applis/imode just display correctly across the various
handsets??
--jason
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Received on Sat Jun 14 22:08:52 2003