Okay, I see how the term "user experience" can be interpreted in two ways. I'm familiar with usability. I do think that there is a link between usability and competency. Actually, some of my research has shown that if you reach a certain level in one (so, decent usability, or medium level competency), it doesn't matter if the other one is low/bad. You'll make do. I'm delighted that we are having this conversation. I bet some people would interpret "user experience" like you did, and some would like I did. So, Thomas needs to make sure he clearly defines it in his book. Thanks for the clarification. Ulla ---------------------------------------------------- Ulla Bunz Assistant Professor Department of Communication Rutgers University 4 Huntington Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Email: bunz@scils.rutgers.edu ---------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: air-l-admin@aoir.org [mailto:air-l-admin@aoir.org] On Behalf Of Louise Ferguson Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 9:35 AM To: air-l@aoir.org; air-l@aoir.org Subject: RE: [Air-l] key terms/concepts for understanding the web At 09:21 30/01/2003 -0500, Ulla Bunz wrote:
There were two terms listed so far, literacy and user experience.
I'm suggesting to use "competency" instead. In order to use Internet technologies (competently), you have to have literacy, but go beyond literacy, which is too text-bound. And you have to go beyond mere experience as in, how long have you used it, and which of the following 5 things have you done. Competency really implies a much broader array of skills, knowledge, and even attitude.
I beg to differ. User experience (the old-fashioned term was usability) has nothing to do with 'competence' and everything to do with the quality of what is provided to the user in terms of the user's needs and wants. I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding here - user experience is not about 'what - past - experience the user has', i.e. it is not part of a learning process. It is widely understood as a term that represents the idea: 'what is the user's experience?'. Totally different concept. Competency is not the issue at all (how competent does one have to be to use the Habitat website? - well, not event the most competent person in the world can use it satisfactorily i.e. the user experience is diabolical. Competency, in fact, has to do with that old chestnut 'intuitiveness' or 'intuitable-ness', which is fundamentally to do with previous experience. Louise Ferguson
Ulla
---------------------------------------------------- Ulla Bunz Assistant Professor Department of Communication Rutgers University 4 Huntington Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Email: bunz@scils.rutgers.edu ----------------------------------------------------
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