User Experience Standards Missing from Web 2.0 Designs

CHICAGO , ILLINOIS , November 4, 2008— User Centric, Inc. ( www.usercentric.com ),
a Chicago-based user experience research firm, released a white paper
today urging usability professionals to be more involved with the
development of Web 2.0 tools that allow users to contribute, create and
collaborate online. The white paper, titled “Web 2.0 Needs to Include
the User Experience Perspective,” provides an overview of the business
strategies and current standards of Web 2.0 technologies, as well as
recommendations from the end user's perspective to facilitate the
adoption of these technologies.

User Centric's team of user experience professionals found the user
experience perspective is sometimes overlooked because design
guidelines originate from a business strategy perspective.  Without
guidance from the user experience perspective, developers and users are
creating ad hoc design and interaction standards on their own, often
without regard for usability. By combining advice from business
strategists and technologists with the user experience perspective, Web
2.0 implementations will have a better chance at success.

“It's amazing that more hasn't been done to develop Web 2.0
usability guidelines,” says Robert Schumacher , Managing Director at
User Centric. “There is a genuine need to establish standards based on
solid research and analysis – and soon – or the users will have to
adapt to a myriad of interaction styles.”

While acknowledging the expertise of business strategists and
developers in their fields, the white paper identifies fruitful
opportunities for further research and analysis that would benefit
user-minded businesses.

Download this white paper:
User-Centric-Web-2.0-Usability.pdf (Adobe PDF, 177KB)