Good design Doesn't Make People Happy

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The article discussed can be seen here

This article asked us to put aside, almost unlearn, the habits and processes we learned this semester.  It had a similar message to the article we read about Facebook's redesign a few years ago, which said that a good design will win out and ultimately make people 'happier'.  This article added on to that sentiment that making a client happy is not necessarily part of the designer's job, that by fulfilling their needs instead of their arbitrary desires, a better product is created that will better accomplish the original goal.  This article seems to be in direct opposition with the conversation we had will Will Seyffer (Designer at Facebook) who talked about how fully empathizing with customers allowed for a better design to form.  While I think that empathy can be useful, I think that assessing the needs and almost dismissing the whims of the client would result in a more well rounded finished design.

Discussion Questions:

The internet has been inundated with backlash against the argument that 'the customer is always right' Why does this dogma still exist?

How does empathetic design work within this model?  Is it more possible to design with less empathy if you are not focusing on the client's happiness?


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