It's World Usability Day
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.14.06
If I hIT THE CAPS LOCK KEY AGain I am going to scream; nobody thought about usability when they designed these things. Other people think about usability all the time; there is even a Usability Professionals' Association. Today they have organized World Usability Day promotes the value of usability engineering, user-centered design, and every user's right to ask for things that work better. There are events happening all over the world"This Earth Day style event, focused on raising awareness and visibility of usability engineering and user centered design, is currently being organized by volunteers and local event coordinators from around the world. Whether a usability professional or just an enthusiastic (or frustrated) user, each participant is making a contribution to "making life easy". Check out what is happening where you live and support it! ::World Usability Day
I can see how usability can be major treehugger issue. Many times people buy things and when they turn out to have a problem with their usability stop using it. Software, gadgets and gizmos etc. they all took energy and materals to produce. The problem gets worse when a person then buys a replacement item (another trip to the store) to do the job....
I wonder how much time, engergy, money and materals are wasted due to poor usability.