If you’re a webdesigner or an operating system developer, all those systems have users. Most of the users that will be utilising your software, won’t be as technically experienced as you. Yet we keep blaming the user when something is wrong. Here are some truths about those users:

• Users aren’t stupid. The system or application you designed just isn’t easy enough to use. This means that you need less complexity (preforable without losing functionality), simpler layout and better explain the user how to use it.
• Users aren’t lazy. Only very few users want to master the application they are using. Most of them just want to get their things done. So don’t expect them to know the system in and out. When they need an option that’s hidden away, why not point them in the right direction with some friendly text or a link?
• Users aren’t incompetent. As said before, most users aren’t technically experienced, so why not use ordinary understandable language? Words and phrases everyone can understand. The amount of errors that occurs (and frustrations that occur because of those errors) will also shrink when the user understands better what you expect from them. Why not even give them a hint? For example the format you expect a date to be in.
• Users aren’t perfect. There will always be errors that occur, maybe due to user input, maybe not. It’s the task of the developer to handle them and handle them nicely. Don’t be ashamed that something goes wrong and hide it. Tell the user if an error occured, why it happens and how it can be prevented (or when it will be fixed in case of a system being down for example).

So by keeping these 4 truths about users in mind, you’ll develop better software.

Here’s a nice article on the demise of Flash. Like the author, I too love flash sites. But there are also a lot of reasons why not to use it:

1. Annoying Flash Ads
2. Not search engine friendly
3. Bad usability (each flash site has its own way of operating it)
4. Not accessible to people with disabilities
5. Downward compatibility issues
6. Overburdening of the developers
7. No or bad internationalization
8. Not compliant with any open standard.

Two extra reasons I want to add, though: Since you need a plug-in to be able to see a flash site (over 50% of the internet users has one installed), you’re reliable on an extra piece of software which isn’t guaranteed to be available. So people might not be able to view your site at all. So reason number 9, you can’t be 100% sure your message reaches your target audience. And secondly, there is no way to enable tracking as you can with HTML sites.

Conclusion: Flash looks good and tempting but only use it as you would use an image, not as a complete site or for critical parts, like your navigation structure.