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Pauline Lam
Web Creative Specialist
IBM
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Bridging the gap between business and technology—with usability
by Jesse Berkowitz
"You have to love working with people to be in usability," says Pauline Lam. "It takes a lot of heart to create something that people truly enjoy using. You really have to care."
While usability analysts are an enthusiastic group in general, Pauline simply radiates excitement and passion for her profession. Yet like many usability engineers, she didn't begin her career in this field.
"My technical background was as a developer," says Pauline. "I gradually moved into the field of usability analysis and information architecture after a few years. When I work on the whole interface design, I feel much closer to the user.
| "With good information architecture, users can find what they're looking for, whereas good development alone can't guarantee this if the structure of a Web site is designed poorly." |
"With good information architecture, users can find what they're looking for, whereas good development alone can't guarantee this if the structure of a Web site is designed poorly. Being an information architect and a usability analyst gives you the authority to question design decisions and make an impact."
Pauline deals with a wide range of interface projects across various industries. She has seen how usability can bridge the communication gap between business and technology groups, by providing "one language that both sides can understand." If wireframing and site-mapping are done properly early on, it prevents discrepancies during later stages of development and helps keep the project within its budget constraints. Pauline has also conducted usability tests across different cultural groups, an area that opens up new opportunities for usability research.
Pauline sees usability as a key activity in any development process. "It's important for people to be able to learn an application easily and find the information they need," she says. "You need to organize your Web site well and embed proper visual cues to enhance the users' sense of direction. Once users feel lost, they'll go away and refuse to use that application any further." |
