Don Norman on the downside of design contests...

Usability uber-expert Don Norman recently wrote an article on design site Core77 - which is no stranger to design contests - on "Why Design Contests Are Bad." As usual, he's thoughtful, thorough, and totally correct, criticizing competitions for rewarding initial "wow" factor and aesthetic styling but ignoring issues of usability. He discusses how these are structural problems with the design of the competitions themselves - and has a few pointers for how things might be improved. If you're in the industry, or just interested in it, it's worth a read!