Alertbox #5

Are Users Stupid?

This Alertbox takes us through three scenarios or claims that we should be aware of when developing our websites.

Test Users are Stupid

As a designer, you may think that the website you designed is perfect and the users testing the site are stupid. Everyone may think this way the first time their website is tested. While it may be true that anyone could eventually learn how to use your website over time, most people will not spend that time to do so. We must make our websites easy to understand and usable to the new user. We must design the website for our user and not for ourselves.

Real Users Don't Mind Complex Design

Many designers may think that their audience is just for the smart people, and that they will like a website that is a little more complex or "cutting edge." The truth is that just because a person is smart enough to use something that is complex doesn't mean that they will want to.

Some People are Too Stupid to Serve

Some designers may think that they are smarter than the users. However, if they are not able to design a website that a user is capable of using than the designer isn't too smart either. If the user is smart enough to be on the internet, then they should be able to use your website.

In conclusion, I can use all of the tools that I have been learning and implement them into my website. If I use these tools effectively, then it will allow users to navigate through my website with ease. I need to remember, however, that I am not the user, they are. And it will be them that determines the usability of my website. The users are not stupid; we need to make our websites usable for them.