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The battle of the disciplines in
designing interactive systems
Sim D'Hertefelt,
25 April 2000
Multidisciplinary teams designing
interactive systems invest a lot of their time and energy in
a battle between the different disciplines. The starting point
to overcome this battle can be to understand that neither discipline
can win the battle without losing the design war. This article
lists some barriers and potential solutions for multidisciplinary
teams to develop successful interactive systems.
The
battle of the disciplines
Designing successful interactive systems
has become increasingly complex. There is a growing understanding
that this complexity can not be managed by technology experts
alone. Increasingly, different disciplines are involved in designing
interactive systems:
- Graphic designers and art directors,
- Business experts,
- Management consultants,
- Usability and interaction design experts,
- Project managers,
- Media & communication experts,
- Copywriters, information designers and content managers.
In response, interactive system design
companies have started to sell the advantages of multidisciplinary
development teams. They use metaphors suggesting a harmonious
group of people with different backgrounds working together
towards the common goal of making a great product.
The reality is that these multidisciplinary
teams invest a lot of their time and energy in a non-productive
battle for power and influence in project decisions, in disagreeing
about procedures and methods, in misunderstanding each other's
contribution, in working besides or even against each other,
etc.
We do not deny that different disciplines
and multidisciplinary teams are necessary to create successful
interactive systems. But we should be aware of the barriers
that sometimes prevent multidisciplinary teams from working
together in an efficient way to create great interactive products.
Testimony: a disciplinary chair dance
A harmless example of the battle of
the disciplines occurred when our company decided to move to
great new premises in the city center. This prospect started
a heated discussion about who will sit where.
One group argued for project-based
multidisciplinary rooms, aimed at improving the co-operation
between disciplines. Another group argued for placement according
to discipline, providing people with the support of their disciplinary
peers.
The first group reacted vehemently
against "discipline ghettos" that reinforce stereotypes
and work against cooperation. And the second group replied that
it is impossible to combine the different disciplinary cultures
in one physical space. Programmers want a quiet library-like
environment, as dark as possible, with only the light of their
computer screen. Designers want drum-and-base music, soft lighting,
posters on the wall and creative brainstorm sessions. Project
managers are on the phone the whole time, cherish the individualized
alarms on their mobiles and want to be near the window to read
by natural light. Usability architects want to be in the middle
of the human buzz, close to the other disciplines to nag them
about the user's point of view.
This is just one harmless example
of the differences and sometimes difficulties we experience
when working together in multidisciplinary teams. Other differences
we experience have to do with:
- Language: tech-speak, design-speak, management-speak,
usability-speak
- Culture: identities, values, goals, ambitions and influences
- Work practices: methods, techniques, deliverables, tools
- Organizational needs: leadership, resource allocation,
delegation, definition of roles and responsibilities
Stop the battle of the disciplines
- start winning the design war
The starting point to overcome the
battle of the disciplines could be a Zen-like understanding
that no discipline on its own can win the battle without losing
the design war.
To create successful interactive systems
we need creative design AND intelligent programming AND optimal
usability AND sound business justification AND proper project
management etc. One competence dominating the development process
compromises reaching that goal. Even project managers can no
longer fully control the process of developing interactive systems.
They face a difficult transition from a controling and directive
role to a coaching, facilitating and moderating role.
Here are some ideas that can help
to create successful multidisciplinary teams:
- Create a multidisciplinary team at the definition stage
of projects
- Create project teams that allow different disciplines
to work together on a daily basis
- Focus on a common overall goal that is made explicit to
the team
- Organize the development process around shared work products
and milestones, e.g. use cases, object models, content architectures,
target group definitions, domain models
- Select communicative team players with a multidisciplinary
frame of mind, not blind experts
Read more about Sim's current activities: Copywriting by Kwintessens | Information architecture by Kwintessens (in Dutch)
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