Is Web Usability as Overhyped as Web 2.0?
Monday, July 9th, 2007I was recently referred to useit.com. My first impression aside - I started to dig deeper, when I realized - hey, this is the guy that hates Flash. Yes, Jakob Nielsen, protheletizing web usuabilty guru.
This brought me back to a something that’s been bugging me lately - web usability and web standards. I’m tired of these terms thumped with self-satisfaction whenever someone chooses to ignore them.
I understand the reasons for web usability and standards. I’m just not convinced that they should dictate the web. In fact I’m pretty comfortable trusting that the web will develop in both usable and unsuable forms and the two will happily co-exist.
Back to Jakob. He feels Web 2.0 is neglecting good design. In reading more I see a bit where he’s coming from. From a Web 1.0 perspective, where the experience truly was, “get in, get it, get out”, customization, and community tools must seem silly. However Web 2.0 isn’t about “get-in-it-out”, but “existing”. Users are engaged with a web site, much as we engage with software, a video game, or even a good book. Web 2.0 usability is less about how easy things are than what can I do that I really enjoy doing. Just because something isn’t valid or complaint or accessible doesn’t make it bad, unworthy of pursuit.
