Porter Anderson, "Scott Adams: Dilbert's Ultimate Cubicle," CNN.com, 28 Aug 2001

"They've got this whole design process that starts with this incredible, chaotic brainstorming session where anything goes and nothing's criticized -- and at that stage, you're pretty sure nothing good can ever come out of this.

"Then you find out that they've done this before. And they actually do throw away the bad ideas. They do a rapid prototype and start building stuff."

Jay Conrad Levinson, "What do people want online? It's not what you think it is," CAP Online, April 2001

Some folks see the web as a vast, new field for advertising messages, assuming that while people may want to do something else, if we can entice them with Flash, we can sort of trick them into paying attention to our products and services. Guess what. That's not gonna happen.

What does this mean to emarketers? It means that if you're constructing a site for goal-oriented consumers, you'd better make sure you can help facilitate their seeking. Rather than focus on entertainment, Flash, and useless splash screens, the most effective sites are those that help people get the information they want when they need it. Straightforward data, information that invites comparison, and straight talk are going to win the day.

Charles L. Mauro, "Is a high priced usability 'Guru' a good investment?" TaskZ.com, 6 Aug 2001

When taken in this context, even the best usability Guru is unlikely to have a suitable understanding of your customer profile and their critical cognitive structures, such as prior learning, experience with other software, and motivation. Therefore, even though usability Gurus may have the best intentions in their criticisms, there is absolutely no guarantee that their recommendations will improve customer acquisition, retention, or migration. Granted, some design flaws are so obvious that they deserve a bit of rant and rave; but such reviews should always leave the motivation of the development team intact. It should never be a humiliating experience in front of the boss and the boss's boss. Want to kill UCD for the current generation of web development teams? Make them think that everything they did was stupid and wasteful.

Lewis Samuels, "Designing for Usability on a Shoestring," WebReview.com, 3 Aug 2001: The goals of the user are relevant because, again, it's the users who will determine the eventual success or failure of any site. This fact is worth repeating because it's frequently forgotten when defining navigation, functionality, and visual design. In my experience, Web professionals often lose sight of the end user, focusing instead on the opinions of their clients, coworkers, or worse yet, themselves. This is a natural reaction, but a very dangerous one. If it's the client that signs the checks, it's only natural to want to please them. However, the savvy designer will keep in mind that the client often knows nothing about the user and their needs.