Inmates Are Running the Asylum by Allan Cooper

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Table of Contents

Introduction
A Case Study
Goal-Directed Design
Design Scenario
Reflect and Critique
Impact on Engineering Education
Summary
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Software design and development is a continuously evolving field. This is mainly because software products are dynamic and the existing products get new features. According to Allan Cooper in his book, Inmates are running the asylum, excluding appearances of business executives leaves them without power to control high-tech industries. In his view, business executives have put engineers and programmers in charge, which results in outcome of processes and products that are not competitive in the market. This will eventually lower the loyalty of customers towards services and products offered by a given business. In addition, he argues that there is need for revolution in the industry that will bring back its sanity. He talks of a state where use of technology is seen to work and produce results that are same as a normal person would think and work. In his view, there is need to rethink of a way of making humans and machines interact in similar platforms. This is implemented in a more novel way putting into consideration the relationship between humans and machine. Ultimately, Coopers argues that the problems in this context lie with us (Johansson 1).

The main ideas that Cooper tries to pin point in this context is that design of a product is more important. In this view, he proposes the use of a goal-directed design approach. Moreover, he argues that design is what makes customers more consistent in buying out a product since it acts as the pillar to customer satisfaction. Furthermore, he again adds that in considering the design, one should focus on both visual design as well as interaction design. Another idea that he brings into context is goal directed design and personas. This is used in describing whom the product in question is intended to. The other idea of Cooper is of taking into consideration on existence of an elastic user. In this context cooper gives an explanation that there is need for incorporating help systems in precise texts that will help the user in case of any query that may arise in later stages. In my own view, the ideas that Cooper gives are very useful in context of product design. The main idea that I consider most important is design matters since it is like bait for customers who later on become loyal (Johansson 1).

A Case Study

An example of a case study in this scenario can be given of Sony Trans com passport system, which was designed by Sony in 1997. This is an in-flight entertainment system with capabilities of showing movies, TV shows and playing of video games. The unique feature of this system is that two different passengers can watch the same movie at different intervals and even pause without interfering with the other passengers. This system elevated the standard of in-flight entertainment to a state of art that is far beyond the current state. This system uses a fiber-optic cable in connecting each seat to an array of connector boxes placed in few rows of the plane. This ensured that the system is fast and very powerful. The prototype for Passport system as designed consisted of a conventional interface that had hierarchical tree of screens that the user had to navigate. In each step, the users had to make decision on the next step to take (Johansson 1).

The failures associated to this system were due to the layers of hierarchy since it required six layers to examine any movie selection. This proved to be cumbersome hence the need to develop a more interactive system. Another shortcoming in this system was to develop a system that could be used by anybody since any airline seat could be occupied by anyone from computer novice to an expert. A solution to this impasse is to employ the use of designing techniques such as personas which takes into consideration the users of the systems are and what do they intend to accomplish (Johansson 1).

Goal-Directed Design

In goal analysis for problem solving, interaction designers tend to find very different and better solutions in the process. Designing that involves user persona goals gives a clear picture of what alternative ways to depict about functionality delivery. An example of goal-oriented design is goal-directed television news whereby the news shows are built one piece after the other (Cooper 1-288).

The goal-directed design has several types of goals, which include personal and practical goals. The essence of designing a good system revolves around the choice of goals that are for practical and personal goals. In order to succeed in the design process, it is critical that there is a distinction between the personal and practical goals (Cooper 1-288).

Personal goals

These are the simplest goals that universally surround a person in the context of design process approach. Personal goals are depicted as true since they operate separately for each person. Violation of personal goals by a system leads to failure in the system regardless of its ability to achieve its set goals (Cooper 1-288).

Corporate goals

These goals are associated with the businesses that reflect on their requirements towards software. Examples that can be given of business goals are like increase in profit margin for the company, increasing the market share, provision of better services than the competitors do and offer more products and services. There is a type of goal amongst the corporate goals called hygienic goal, which are vital in the functioning of a business (Cooper 1-288).

Practical goals

These are set of goals that combine the difference between the companys objectives and the users objectives. A practical example is handling of a clients queries combines the corporate goal of making more profits with personal goal of maintaining productivity standard. Examples of practical goals are like a resolution to avoid meetings, a resolve to handle the clients demands and creation of business models (Cooper 1-288).

False goals

It is noted that most of the software products in use today have incorporation of false goals in built in them. These goals only help the product in question at the expense of the user of the software product. Examples to these false goals include saving memory, ease to which it can be learnt, ability to run in a browser, increase in data entry speed, increasing in efficiency in program execution and ability to maintain consistent output in the program output across all platforms (Cooper 1-288).

Design Scenario

A scenario can be stated as a description towards a persona in terms of software products in achieving its goals. Scenarios play an important role in the design work, as they are more effective as the workload becomes detailed. It is of essence to develop scenarios that are vital in the design effort. There are two types of scenarios in use in the design process namely daily use and necessary use scenarios (Cooper 1-288).

Daily-use scenario

These defines the main actions that the user is deemed to work on with the highest priority such as looking for bugs in a software program and reporting on them.

Necessary-use scenarios

This defines actions that have to be performed but not done all the time. An example to this is querying and making exceptional requests in a database

Edge-case scenario

This defines edge cases that are set out by programmers but are largely ignored during the design of the system.

Reflect and Critique

In Coopers point of view, he bases his arguments to the fact that all the design process should be interactive and systematic. This is attributable to the fact that he employs the use of a goal-directed design approach in the design of the systems. The approach he states is an effective and novel way of looking into problems using mental tools coupled with guiding axioms. The first mental tool is the use of personas whereby a system is designed taking into consideration the users of the system and their objectives with the system. By making pretend users to the system known as personas, it gives a good foundation for a good interaction design rather than looking for the actual user of the system. In the design process, logic is of essence since it helps in making a decision when designing a system for multiple functionalities. Secondly, the other mental tool in use is the elastic user whereby the system being designed should be able to adapt to the varied needs of the user (Cooper 1-288).

The case study of the Sony Trans Com Passport system is a good example of a typical system where the design process was not interactive. The system had so many assumptions ranging from whom the users of the system are to the processes incorporated in the system. In a real world case scenario the system is considered non-compliant to the standards of the software design process. In this view, Cooper tries to be more objective in interactive design since it is the pillar of a well-designed system. According to Cooper, his viewpoint is that he considers projects that are designed by technologists to depict technical abilities or shortcomings instead of focusing on the goals associated with the users of the systems. In stating my point, I tend to argue to the fact that the technologists work mainly revolves around the functionality of the system in accordance to the requirements. The user interface for interacting with the system is a preserve of the visual designers to make it user friendly keeping in mind the functionalities the system exhibits (Cooper 1-288).

A reflection of Coopers thoughts towards software engineers, he asserts that software engineers think and act differently from normal humans. He supports this argument in four fundamental ways. First, Cooper considers software engineers as people who trade simplicity for control. Cooper argues that dealing with people is a complex issue since they are not predictable like machinery. Software engineers find it less appealing in controlling humans. Secondly, Software engineers tend to exchange success for understanding. The fact that programmers are homo logicus they inhibit a strong desire to understand what a system entails and how it functions. Thirdly, programmers always tend to focus on what is possible at the expense of what is probable. Coopers notes that programmers share the view of mathematicians of complex systems. This argument is because to a mathematician, a proposition is true if it is always true. Lastly, Cooper asserts that software engineers act like jocks. This is because jocks tend to do well and have a sense of natural competition (Cooper 1-288).

Impact on Engineering Education

The lessons that can be of great importance to the Software Engineering Design class are that a viable design solution should follow certain specific steps. These steps include first designing the product on how it will be of use, and then there is the program phase, which is followed by user, and bug testing. Another lesson that can be learnt from this is that design plays a major role in the process through swaying of customers towards the product. This justifies the fact that goal-oriented products or systems make it easier to make judgment and additional comments on what should be added to a program. In an engineering design class, students should be taken through the useful design interaction goals that will enable development of flawless systems. In designing a product there should be a smooth flow in the processes of the system. This proves to be of importance in case where an error may occur then it will clearly indicate wherever the problem is located. The advantage of ensuring a smooth flow in the system design is that it provides the user with a guideline that he/she can use in case of troubleshooting the system. This is done through using a more goal-directed design approach in the design process. This takes into consideration two objectives, which includes definition of user personas and their goals. These two objectives go hand in hand since one is a compliment of the other (Cooper 1-288).

A good interaction design gives meaning to the whole design process and devises interactions that enable users to achieve their practical goals without violating the personal goals. There is the need to develop a precise description of the user and what targets the user wishes to accomplish. In defining personas, vital aspect rests on what goals they set out to achieve at the end of the design process. Another important aspect in the design process is being specific in defining the personas in the design process since it makes them more effective they are a design tools (Elenburg 1).

Summary

In summary, Coopers talks of inmates taking over the asylum in reference to system design processes being done by engineers who do not incorporate the users perspective in the process. Cooper in his suggestion gives splendid ideas to every project or product manager in improving the usability and interaction design for the system design. It also takes them through a paradigm shift in all that is involved in interactive design issues. In his book, Cooper takes issues with the software engineers who develop logical interfaces that can only be understood by them alone. He argues from the point of a users perspective particularly considering users who are not well conversant with the computing world (Cooper 1-288).

A solution that he provides to this problem is the adoption of an interactive design, which employs the concept of a persona. This he argues is the most efficient and effective way that interactive design can be used in the system design processes. Another point that Cooper tries to put across is talking about product managers mistaking industrial design for interaction design. In this context, Cooper tries to reason out that whereas it is much easier to make a nice looking product, but it is a completely different issue in ensuring that products are easy to understand and use. He stresses this by stating that it needs determination to make a product that incorporates all the user functionalities and features (Cooper 212).

Conclusion

In concluding, I would categorically say that in building an effective design process, there should be important guidelines that one needs to follow in delivering a customer centered product. It is vital to note that the text in this book generally talks about being an executive in an organization. This does not necessarily mean that one can fit in all areas of the business. There is a vital need of equality in performance between humans and machines. In dealing with interaction design, it is important that products be created that can take note of their users. Consideration should also be on the needs of users of these products. In addition, products should be designed to cater for their specific needs. Another point that should be noted is importance of competitive advantage in the contemporary market. It is also vital that products designed be of high quality and unique to other products that are already in existence in the market. This helps in maintaining customers loyalty. In essence, design process has to be clear from the beginning. Cooper points out that taking responsibility for software qualities by programmers would be very effective for interactive design process (Chalif 1).

Works Cited

Chalif, Ivan. Book Review: The Inmates are Running the Asylum. The Productologist. 2008. Web.

Cooper, Allan. The Inmates are Running the Asylum, The: Why High-Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity. Indianapolis: Sams Publishing.

Elenburg, Dennis. Book Review The Inmates Are Running the Asylum. Developers Works. 2002. Web.

Johansson, Roger. The Inmates Are Running the Asylum (Book review). 456bereastreet.com. 2011. Web.

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