Transparent Technology

User Experience August 30, 2008

Some people may claim that Microsoft is a tech company that focuses on technology that's never been done before. I might agree. Apple's core value is "innovation" but to me, it's innovation on the user experience front. We've seen touch-screens before, but not like the iPhone. We've seen personal computers before, but not like the iMac. In their case, Apple spends its time tweaking existing technologies to make it so easy for the user that it's like magic. "It just works," is the common sentiment on Apple products.

My thinking:

The most advanced technology doesn't matter if it's not transparent to the user.

My goal in working with technology is not to simply create things that haven't been made before. Big deal. I mean sure, it's challenging, but what's more challenging is making it usable. If the end user can't use it, then it's worthless in my mind. Instead, I'd rather take existing technologies and make them better by improving the user experience.

Give me a blank piece of paper and a pencil and tell me to design something and I will probably draw blanks (no pun intended). But give me something pre-existing and ask me how to fix it and I can give you endless advice. As much as I enjoy creating things myself, I've found in my experience that I much more enjoy re-creating things that have existed before but done in a more user-friendly way.

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