Sitepoint's monthly newletter has a great anecdote about redesigning an ugly, mistake-ridden web with a more attractive, more accurate site. After the redesign, to everyones amazement, sales on the site dropped precipitously.
How an Ugly, Mistake-Ridden Web Site Outperformed a 'Better' Site
The crux of the story is that the old site contained little info and forced interested parties to call a salesperson, who often closed the deal Once the site was redesigned, users were given all the information and had no need to call. They therefore made the decision without the added persuasion of a person on the phone, and less often bought.
Designers often design based on what users want. This is certainly the focus of the type of design taught to us at the (Stanford) d.school. Yet sometimes what the users and companies want are at odds. This often leads to result-centric design as opposed to user-centric design. Think of the process of buying a mattress or used car. Think how difficult it is to cancel services such as AOL.
Yet, over the long term, a company's brand is affected and a company wishing to build a lasting brand ignores users at their own peril. Microsoft consistently focused its design on building the bottom line, but in the process alienated users. Apple and Google have taken the opposite approach and have built up tremendous brand loyalty with users.
Besides, user-centric design is more fun.
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