Re:Enterprise UX Design: Make me think
by karaterobot on Tuesday November 24, 2020 @10:20AM
(#25199219)
Been there. I used to design (overly) complex applications for enterprise researchers. I partially agree with the article, but here are some thoughts:
There is a big difference between having a captive audience or not. By that I mean, complex applications reward commitment, and if your users have another alternative they can to switch back to, which they already know how to use to get their work done, good luck getting them to switch.
This is not advice to burn bridges behind you, this is to warn you from learning the wrong lessons. People hate a lot of the software they use every day. They only use it because weren't given a choice, not because they got over the hump and started to love it.
If you've got a complex application, orientation is important, so make don't make it an afterthought. Also, give people ways to learn without breaking things, and make sure they can undo their mistakes. Also, justify the value of investing their time: make sure your application is better than a bash script, and that users know why.
There is a big difference between having a captive audience or not. By that I mean, complex applications reward commitment, and if your users have another alternative they can to switch back to, which they already know how to use to get their work done, good luck getting them to switch.
This is not advice to burn bridges behind you, this is to warn you from learning the wrong lessons. People hate a lot of the software they use every day. They only use it because weren't given a choice, not because they got over the hump and started to love it.
If you've got a complex application, orientation is important, so make don't make it an afterthought. Also, give people ways to learn without breaking things, and make sure they can undo their mistakes. Also, justify the value of investing their time: make sure your application is better than a bash script, and that users know why.