[kde]

[Frank Reifenstahl]

> Usability is not only about making things easy to learn. It is also about
> making things enjoyable, fun and aesthetically pleasing. The latest number
> of the ACM magazine "interactions" (July 2002) publishes Donald Norman's
> article "Emotion & Design - Attractive things work better". Norman writes:
> "The surprise is that we now have evidence that pleasing things work
> better, are easier to learn, and produce a more harmonious result." He
> also explains that affect has a major impact on what products we choose to
> use.

First of all, for me usability implies not only aspects of look'n'feel, but 
also or above all whether a desktop/GUI is ready to use at that moment I want 
to use it. So, IMO, stability is a mandatory quality of software which 
suffices high usability claims.

I agree with the "pleasing things - easier to learn" connection and the 
"pleasing things - products we choose" connection. But nowadays mostly 
there's no "pleasing things - high quality" connection, rather the contrary. 
I do know a lot of users enjoying those colourful screens, freezing ten times 
a day or taken in turns by blue screens. Does not work? No matter [pushing 
reset]...

That's bluntness, not usabilty!

Regards
Frank

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