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Technology In the early days of new technology it used to be the case that enthusiasts built their own equipment. Early radios were hand built, as were the very first computers. Even when they were bought the users understood the technology. In the early days of the motor car the users would perform their own maintenance and if the car broke down (as they often did) the owner would repair it. The users of the technological products understood them and had a relationship with them. Nowadays that's rare. Many people have no understanding of even the basic aspects of how their car, TV or computer works. Even when they do, the components are not repairable - you simply throw out a printed circuit board or even replace the whole computer or TV. This attitude to technology can create a certain amount of alienation. When something goes wrong, they are helpless. People become dependant on experts, or anyone who can convince them that they are experts. It's been found that people are most happy and content in their jobs when they have control over their environment. Well when something goes wrong and a person doesn't understand the technology they are using, they don't have control. This causes alienation and discontent. Another aspect to this is bad design - and there's a lot of it about. It's a standing joke that parents have to get their children to program the VCR, or to explain some new aspect of computer technology. People shouldn't have to adapt their thinking for the technology - the technology should be designed to work with the way people think. Unfortunately, most computer programs are designed by programmers who often don't have the experience to understand how a program is going to be used in the real world. I recently worked on the top floor of a building with two very slow lifts. If the lifts were called to the top floor but were not used within a certain period they would return to the ground floor. This meant that you couldn't call the lifts in advance, even if it was after hours and there was no one else in the building. Did the person who designed the lifts think about how they were going to be used? Part of good design is standing in the shoes of the user, so to speak. Microsoft has a reputation in some circles for being leaders in the software industry and I've mentioned before how managers often see Microsoft as the safe option. However, the design of their products is often not intuitively obvious. They have improved over the years and have learnt a lot from their competitors, notably Apple who have always had a reputation for good design. The design of Apple products goes beyond simply ease of use and extends into what is nowadays called 'look and feel'. Both their hardware and software is designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as easy to use. This is not coincidence and represents a holistic approach to design. You can't separate how something looks from how it works, it's part of standing in the shoes of the user. Good design is good design at all levels.