Core77

In his post, " OLPC: When Good Design Isn't Enough", designer and business consultant Greg Hinzman points out the deal-breaking difference between customers and users when it comes to OLPC's target market. And of course, when describing its "good design", he took the liberty of making a timely Kindle comparison. (C'mon, who could resist? And note that he's provided some Kindle commentary in the next previous post.)

The best designers act as advocates for the end user, working hard to create a simple, elegant, and enjoyable experience for them. That works well when the users and customers are one and the same. However, very often there are intermediary customers that must also be considered. Maybe that's a little more marketing strategy than designers want to be accountable for, but ignoring the needs of the customer and solely focusing on the needs of the user can be a losing strategy.