> On Thu, 12 May 2005, phil B wrote:
>
> > I'll second that.  Too many designers emphasize form
> > over function.  Its amazing what kind of drek gets
> > foisted on the public under the guise of "designer".
> > I just want the thing to do what it supposed to do
> > with a minimum of suprises or side-effects.
>
> Form is what the 99% of the users who are not engineers will ever see
> out of your equipment. Unless you want to sell to engineers only, you
> probably care a *lot* about form. If it takes a top designer to define
> what form is, and the public accepts that, then imho you should pay
> attention.
>
> I don't remember any products from 'fortune 500' *consumer* product
> companies emphasising function over form over the last maybe 60 years or
> so (as far as I can read back in relevant literature). Chrome and
> ton-heavy ornaments sold far more cars than horse power and suspension
> technology combined afaik.
>
> Peter


Actually, the big sellers are the ones who get both right, current example
is the Apple iPod.

A car that is just chrome soon gets a name as a pile of junk.  You still
need that big engine in there.  Matching suspension and brakes are optional,
of course.

Consumers buy chrome (often by comparing feature lists, biggest wins).  They
then grumble a lot (why'd I buy this piece of crap?), and then buy something
else.  In one of life's bizarre mysteries, they buy chrome again.

Manufacturers don't learn either.  Read 'The inmates are running the asylum)
by Alan Cooper (also wrote 'About Face' and the visual half of Visual
Basic).

There's a story of designing a scanner for Logitech.  Became famous for its
very few tech support calls.  The reason was the software was very simple.
Did Logitech learn?  No, their current drivers are feature packed pieces of
crap, (and so are those by Canon, HP, etc).

I found the perfect replacement remote control once, 6 big buttons (power
volume +/-, channel +/-, mute), nice shape.  Apparently had a matching video
one.  Most replacements are chrome, ie feature packed, control 16 devices
with our 67 button remote (real example!).

And don't trust engineers to get form right.

Tony

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