Question and answer
Josh Seiden · interactions · 2002
Have you found yourself using standard design features simply because they are standards? I know I have. We assume that a feature has become standard for a good reason, and we may follow it without much consideration. Josh Seiden urges us to change our approach, restrain our impulse to use the standard answer to a design problem, and look deeper to see if it really does meet our users' needs. ---Elizabeth Buie P.S. When I conceived "Whiteboard," I envisioned a provocative, opinionated, informal, and humorous column. What I did not insist on was that I agree with its contributors' views. This installment was difficult for me to edit---not for its main point (challenging assumptions can be a very good thing) but because I question some of its specific recommendations (I certainly want to know in which folder my file is being stored!) and also because I am involved in standards development. It was an interesting exercise in maintaining my detachment, and I have Josh to thank for the opportunity.