Words Matter. Talk About People: Not Customers, Not Consumers, Not Users
Donald Norman writes about the need to re-frame the way we think and communicate with words such as "user", "customer", etc. He prefers the term "people" or "human":
"Time to admit that we are people, that we design for people. Yes, I know, the various terms arose from the need to distinguish the many different roles people play in the world of artifacts, machines, and gizmos: those who specify, those who distribute, those who purchase (customers), those who actually use them (users). Those who stand by and watch. But that is still no excuse. All of them are people. All deserve their share of dignity. Their roles can be specified in other ways. It is time to wipe words such as consumer, customer, and user from our vocabulary. Time to speak of people. Power to the people."
Permalink | Wednesday, June 14, 2006
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