The Inmates Are Running The Asylum- Chapter 1-2

The Inmates Are Running The Asylum: Alan Cooper


Summary
These chapters start off by giving an introduction to why interaction design is important. They list ~5 examples of where an existing physical system had a computer integrated into it, which subsequently lead to great heart break. It was a decent introduction to why this is important.

Chapter 2 felt like it ran off into the deep end with the constant "It isn't the users fault, it's all the programmers, those mean, evil, no-good programmers". More specifically, it felt like it was treading into a world of idealism, where programmers do have this magical ability to make wonderfully and remarkably usable software, and they choose not to because they enjoy a certain amount of challenge. Or because they're used to working with computers and don't quite see things the same way a user does. And how we're creating unemployable masses because the masses (of poor socio-economic status, thus making us elitists) can't figure out how to use Word.

Summary: Chapter 1 was nice, Chapter 2 felt like he was channeling Don in all of his reasonable and not-complaining-ness.

Discussion
1. Why is this paper interesting or significant?
It makes a case for segmenting the design of interactive (software) products into interaction design and program design, showing that the people who do program design don't necessarily think the same way a user does.

2. What are the faults of this work?

It comes off as combative, which if it's intended to sway the hearts and minds of programmers, probably isn't the best approach.

It makes a lot of statements as to potential job loss because a person can't use a computer to a half competent level... to which I question "What have you been doing these past few years?" For the past many years high schools have required courses in basic computer use, and before that were courses on type writers. I'd argue that the people who are actually employable (/would be useful at a job) can learn to suffer through the infuriating computers that we interact with on a daily basis. While I don't question that software as is today can be quite painful for the new folk, I do question the statement that we're reestablishing segregation.

I'm also forced to question the realism of some of his suggestions. While they aren't bad (having a file system specific to word so you don't misplace files, etc), they seem to require a redesign of the computer itself as we know it- documents need to be shared between applications (emailed off to the PR department), and that level of interaction, to be useful, would need to be integrated across most of the programs the user uses every day. To an extent you can these in the new mobile platforms (iPad), but to see it in the desktop world you'd need to re-implement and integrate on the order of every program your computer-illiterate staff use.

3. What is the possible future work extending from this work?

Reading on further to see what other fun and enjoyable things he has to say about programmers.