>>I stick by my original point though. Better understanding the
>>customer's needs, from whatever perspective you'd like to take, will
>>probably answer the debate far more effectively than discussing the
>>merits and demerits of specific technologies.
>>
>
> Marketing and developemnt knowledge and skill do that. at the most focus
> groups supplement this process. and no, the key to this thread is that the
> technology decides the future, not you, not me. If the public like it they
> buy. simple.
>
> i am a bit sorry about the tone of my original email, but past expereince
> has taught me this - especialy the psuedo-religious aspect of it and their
> unfinching belief that their data in the only accurate data.
Your beliefs that "designers and developers know instinctively what joe
public wants" and "technology decides the future" seem far more
religious to me. Furthermore, history has proven them wrong repeatedly.
> this could go on forever - as many a focus meeting can. Im not writing
anymore emails on this subject as its a waste of time.
Ryan, you seemed to have overlooked the other points i made in my previous
email reply. does this mean you agree with those points and are looking
for - as the marketingspeak would say ^ the black spot on the white piece of
paper? history has proved focus groups wrong many a time. reread the entire
email and avoid knee jerk reactions. what i say is not didactic it is based
on fact, not abstract fact.
I agree that focus groups and user studies are often misapplied and
their findings misinterpreted or misused. It would be nice if you drew
on your bad experiences with them to offer constructive criticism or
useful alternatives, instead of just making unsupported claims in a
hostile tone.
> My experiences with focus groups etc, as i clearly stated, have not all
been bad. neither are my claims unsupported. my tone hostile? oh dear, Im
sorry, i forgot the cut throat world mobiles is now a sunny happy people
land.
>The point to all these emails: demystification of focus and user groups and
the validity of the results based on pragmatic usage. That would make a good
focus group.
The End...
Darren (black is white, white is black)
you got to laugh a little to know a lot...
>
Received on Tue Feb 17 13:21:18 2004