Usability, Groupthink, and Authority

In a perfect world, we would all be able to design and build applications by simply following best practices; creating intuitive, beautiful interfaces would be as easy as implementing "10 Usability Heuristics" and using logic to fill in the gaps. But, it's never that simple, is it? We tend to think of usability as a utopian 'middle ground' that serves the average user so well that we must always strive for it first. In reality, though, it's more like one corner of a triangle, accompanied by two very interesting psychological ideas: groupthink and authority. Backed by data and studies, I'll show you how groupthink can alter the way your users think about and interact with your application—both for better and for worse (see: mob mentality). As well, we'll discuss the role that trust and authority play by looking at ways you can combat groupthink, and even use it to your advantage! We can create better experiences by understanding the dynamics of our users' community—not just an individual user's persona.