[chops]

Great story about interfaces designed by people who don't use the software.

I've been encountering similar bad interfaces as I've been working volleyball tournaments mainly to learn how large scale tournaments are run and frankly the software out there works like something I might have built 15 years ago when I first learned MSAccess and VBA - that is to say, the interface is terribly clunky and not at all intuitive.

Though for niche products visible only to workers and admins, the 'vim principle' applies: software CAN afford to be (initially) intuitive, if it speeds up the workflow after a bit of training. Unfortunately, this current tournament software does not do that to the degree it should. There's no reason it can't be both efficient and highly intuitive based on what I've seen.

I aim to fix that!

[nknight]

> people who don't use the software

It's far worse than that. Either they've never set foot in a busy restaurant, or they're insufferable, self-absorbed bores who don't take five seconds to look up at what's going on in the world around them.

[untog]

Well, apparently they built the whole thing with restaurants in mind:

http://livebookings.net/

[funkah]

Ouch. Well, sometimes the dev wants to look at the world around them but isn't able. For example, I used to work for a company that sold software to health clubs, including high end ones like Equinox. I made various things, from a web app to allowing people to check in to the club using only their fingerprint. Most of what I made was used by the staff of the health clubs, but I was never allowed to actually go to the clubs and see these things being used. Instead, I had to rely on the knowledge of a guy who just knew a lot of stuff about the industry (ie, a "business analyst").

[MiguelHudnandez]

There's no reason to take offense--You'd be part of the first group, through no fault of your own.

Although you could have obtained a gym membership and checked it out. Or just showed up and asked nicely to see the system in use. If you introduced your pelf as "someone who wants to make check-in systems easier," I bet you'd get some info.

I have had several experiences like this: I get asked to build software and hardware systems for trade shows, and I get to attend to implement the technology. What I learn during the first show rivals all the meetings and handed-down info from the stakeholders. I am actually very excited about my projects now that he second occurrence is coming up for some of them.

[Klinky]

Getting a membership would have cost him money & hassle. Showing up at the client's place of business without permission from your company sounds like a good way to get reprimanded, maybe even fired if the company got the impression you were "going rogue" & trying to steal the contract from them.

[MiguelHudnandez]

My intention with my comment was to encourage people to avoid behaving helplessly. That is a potential trap that could keep one surrounded in mediocrity.

I did intend to suggest that an unapproved visit to your employer's client would be conducted anonymously, but I did not word it very well.