[SIZE=14px][SIZE=12px]And the time has come to vote for a winner in Debate #1[/SIZE]
[B]Topic: We should design for usability, then add delight.[/B]
[SIZE=12px]Luke was the affirmative team (usability before delight).
Matt was the negative team (delight before usability).[/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][B]You can read the debate here.[/B][/SIZE]
There is just one vote in it at the moment…
Sorry Matt.
Haha. Luke just told me he voted for himself, so I did too. We’re even stevens again!
I’m sure Matt made a point at one stage that he was not saying that usability shouldn’t be considered, but only that delight comes first (or something to that affect). That single point sold it for me. 
To be an exemplary designer, one must indeed have superb ‘delight;’ that’s what separates the good from the great. . .but it is indeed the basic tenant of the field to have a functional product (fundamental usability). No matter how beautiful the thing looks, if it doesn’t perform it’s task well, it is a lower quality end-product. Perhaps this is an assumed trait of the product in Matt’s argument, which is why I believe Luke is in the right here, at least on the most basic level of design. This is quite the interesting topic!
Well said, Dylan! And the beauty doesn’t have to be skin-deep either - the product might be emotive, elegant and inspiring, but it still needs to be usable. As I said in one of my posts, a usable site can arguably survive without delight, but a delightful site relies on usability for it to be such.
@DMG - I think both Matt and I agree that ‘delight’ is the pinnacle UX designers must aim for. However, I believe the foundations of a project need to be built on usability for it to get there.
Whoa… Luke is currently running away with it…
Seems like you can have usability without delight, but not delight without usability… I love chicken and egg debates!
And Luke takes it away 11 - 5. Congratulations Luke! Great work guys. What shall we debate next?
Does that perhaps depend on the context? How about a one page ‘coming soon’ site. How would you break the two up then? Delight is crucial in order to wow the site’s visitors and get them to come back after the go live date, but what usability would you expect from such a site?
Well done guys, the debate is a great way to encourage some alternative thinking.
Is there a forfeit for losing???
:eek:
Paddy
Thanks Matt, Hawk and everyone! A hearty congrats to Matt too, an excellent challenger who certainly kept me on my toes and didn’t let me get away with any assumptions.
We’re now planning the next debate if anyone wants to put themselves forward as a candidate or chip in with feedback and suggestions. We’d love to hear what you think!
(PS @Matt Dr Claw never did get Gadget in the end ducks)