Design is altered by use. We see it everywhere - software is used in ways not intended by the creator, or a game console is "hacked" and used for different purposes than it was designed for. The circumstance of use has greater impact on how and item is used than initial design (unless, of course, the design process was tested in an environment which solicited feedback). "Use over design" is not limited to software or physical products. The same occurrence is observed in the design of corporations and organizations. An organization chart details "lines of authority". In reality, work is done in a more networked manner with less regard for how the organization has been formally designed. The Hidden Workplace looks at how work actually gets done: "In every company there is a parallel power structure that can be just as important as the one everyone spends stressful days trying to master...[a] "constellation of collaborations, relationships, and networks"".
Posted by gsiemens at July 24, 2007 9:00 AM | TrackBack