User Experience – The Kettle.

How many kettles have you owned over the years? is it more than one? has it always been the same one?

It’s a pretty straight forward device, you fill it up with water, it heats up and then you tip the contents out into a container.

Why then are there so many varieties of Kettles? Why are there constantly new ranges or approaches to the Kettle that come out each year?

The answer lies in the fact that end users are like Kettle owners, each has a unique preference and taste towards something we often take for granted each day.

Each time a kettle is designed, it’s done so typically with an idea of who the end user is and how it could blend in with the rest of the owners kitchen style.

Software is no different to the kettle in many ways, its job is to blend in with the end users desktop, compliment their confidence level and ensure it upholds the core functionality required in order to carry out the task.

I all too often see folks go off the deep end with the User Experience in their RIA solution, and I often ask if they’ve stopped boiling water and are doing everything but that simple task.

Keep it simple; keep it fashionable and always think about User-Centric Design first, engineering second. You’ll find life gets easier that way.

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