I'm sure we all know that usability in the software we build for non-technical people is extremely important. It can be the difference between something discarded and a profitable venture. However I'm wondering a bit more about what's important for us in IT? The tools we use to get our jobs done, save time, make things easier, etc.
I've heard lots about how Microsoft does usability over the years. They actually put people in a room, they video and audio tape their actions, even retinal scanning at times to see where people are looking and evaluable their designs before building tools. It's a lot of effort, but then again, their software gets seen by so many people that it is worth the effort.
I wondered about how other companies did things since most of the software I've built, even stuff that was sold, we usually a developer asking someone for a couple opinions. I asked Red Gate, my employer, how they do things and was rather surprised by the answer. I kind of hope that other software companies do something similar when building their software.
Red Gate actually has a few full-time people that are devoted to usability. I met with them a few times and learned they go through a variety of stages before software is built, while it's in development, and even afterwards to prepare for the next version. I've heard lots of good comments about Red Gate's products, so I guess it's working.
So this Friday I'm asking:
How important is usability?
I'm really speaking in terms of tools that we as technologists use. Those utilities that make our jobs easier. It could be vendor supplied tools, such as SSMS, or third party tools such as SQL Compare.
I think usability is valuable, especially when I evaluate a tool. I've worked with a few over the years that were so hard to use and counter-intuitive that I never bought them. Or never used them if they were purchased by someone else.
However I do think that usability for us IT people must include a variety of ways to use the tool. It should be scriptable or programmable. After all, many of us want to drive a tool in our own way or incorporate it into the systems we build to manage the systems we're responsible for. I haven't seen too many vendors include this, but when I do, it's a very valuable thing for me to have.
So let us know what you think about usability for the software that helps you in your job.
Steve Jones
The Voice of the DBA Podcasts
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