Definition of Luxury [Source: wordnetweb.princeton.edu]:

1. something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity
2. lavishness: the quality possessed by something that is excessively expensive

Software design is an indulgence and not a necessity? Software design is excessively expensive?  If this is true then most certainly software architects, testers, and tech-docs are all luxuries as well. The only necessity is someone who can write code, and if you have more than one, a manager (maybe). The coder can just throw some standard widgets on a canvas, link them to database queries, test his code using some scenarios, and then write some simple guides using Google Docs. Done.

And as long as you just created some incredible innovation, you’ll be fine for a very short time until the competition catches on.  Then you’re screwed.

Design happens, and it can happen well or it can happen poorly. It’s not whether you design the user interface of your product, it’s how you design it. We are past the days of users accepting horribly designed software products because they have been exposed to good design on the web and they expect more.

So are user interface designers necessary? Only if you want to create great products. Is user interface design expensive? Are programmers expensive? Is testing expensive? It’s called “cost of goods sold” (COGS).

User interface design is not a luxury… it’s a competitive advantage.

Related posts:

1. What do we mean by software design?
2. Four questions every software user interface designer and usability professional should be thinking about
3. Design Process at Facebook