Frequently Asked Questions (about this blog)

The following are some questions I have received about the nature and purpose of this blog.

• What is the User Experience Team? See the About AEC User Experience page and the post about Software Designers.
• Can I comment on your posts? Absolutely. This blog is intended as a two-way communication with our users.
• OK, but are their ground rules? The main thing is to keep the discourse professional and follow the Golden Rule. I won't go into detail, but this blogging etiquette resource covers the topic well.
• Will you be telling us what will be in the next release? NO. We will be discussing existing functionality and usability at length. We will even talk a bit about current research we are conducting. But we will NOT be divulging anything about future releases because of legal restrictions.
• Will you be telling us why a specific feature is not in this release? NO. It is our job to research how you work and design better user experiences for you to accomplish this work in an efficient and delightful manner. Although we do not ultimately decide what features go in the products, our research influences these decisions, so discussions about trouble you are having with specific features (or lack thereof) are welcomed.
• Is this a marketing blog?  NO. This blog will focus on the nuts and bolts behind the research and design that goes into the Revit user experience. While we obviously believe strongly in our products (we wouldn't be here otherwise), we will leave the marketing to the professionals.

Am I missing anything? I will post this FAQ to the side bar on the left and add to it as other questions come in.

_tom

Comments

[Jeffrey McGrew]

Just wanted to say thanks for starting this blog up. It can only help things, and it's a smart move. I'm glad to see Autodesk start to get out of the 80's as software companies go ;-)

[Devonshire]

This is a good step to interact with customers.

I am far, far more interested in fixing/refining/evolving the current feature set than the ribbon interface.

The classic complaint for most users is for Autodesk to keep creating new whiz-bang features and interfaces before completing and polishing up the functionality and usability aspects of the current feature set. Family creation (with parametrics), library management, complex "flat" roof slopes in 3D (arrrggghh), compound sloping of free-form shapes (like curved sidewalks) and printing to just name a few pet peeves that still REALLY need attention before worrying about the pretty interface.

Personally, when I jumped to MS Office's ribbon in 2007 it drove me nuts for months and I found I was spending 10-30 minutes online and in the help file (over and over) to figure out how to do routine things that I had been doing as second nature for years. That was very frustrating and not efficient. And, I am a rabid early adopter and tech junkie and am proficient in maybe 60-70 apps and spent 15 years as a CIO.

I'd love to jump in with you guys and tackle a single issue like sloping flat roofs with vents, skylights, mechanical equipment, crickets, scuppers, etc. The current feature set requires the patience of Jobs to struggle through. (I am very serious about this. I am a very senior architect and know the production process in great depth).