• People evaluate software on criteria that they understand. They often understand the difference between good-looking and ugly, but rarely appreciate technical nuances.
• People are fooled by appearances. This may not be a good thing, but it is a reality that we must live with.
• Appearances influence the way people feel about software. The way people feel about software is important to them. Indeed, people sometimes prefer software that makes them feel good over software that is functionally superior. Indeed, they might well be more productive with feel-good tools than with technically superior tools. To this extent, our users are not being fooled. They are actually making a wise and thoughtful choice.
• As programmers, we often neglect the role of presentation as we focus on function. To some extent, this is right and proper. However, it is important to recognize that there is another dimension to our work that is important to our customers.