Usability and Web Design

This week, we read and answered questions about usability and web design.  It  has prompted good discussion about the topic.  One post said that "the usability of a web site is much like providing customer service. The point is, if a company truly cares about customers, their web site had better show it by {it's usabilty}  Don't you agree?"

My response to the post: 

Interesting point about customer service. One of the factors that my admissions advisor liked about my background is that it is educational. He thought would be beneficial and transferrable to an IT degree. I'm entering my second year at U of P for IT, and now I understand the points he made when recruiting me.

Based on what I have learned from other students experienced in IT jobs (entry-level and upwards) and course materials, there is a serious lack of understanding customer service, as well as educational principles, in the IT field overall. I especially become aware of this when taking my tech writing course while learning to write technical documents for the general public. Many of the bad examples from course materials would have benefited from the author understanding more than a technical point of view. While it doesn't seem like education, customer service, and IT have anything in common, they actually do have much in common.

Education is completely service orientated, and requires understanding how people learn, from perception to retention, and all cognitive processes in between. Best customer service practices are also rooted in educational principles: how do you attract a customers attention (perception), convert into purchasing action (learning), and retain them(customer loyalty)? Being able to achieve a satisfying end-user experience for IT rend users requires knowing the right answers to the same questions. These are all questions that relate to usability.

Debra Contreras:

"As you meet your brain, you will realize your infinite value, and become an 'artist of life.' Then you can create new values, a new culture, and a new world."

Ilchi Lee

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