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Sure people care about design, but they care about it most in a negative way, when it gets in the way and prevents them from getting to what they want. To me, the point of the article was that people notice bad design much more than they notice good design, and usability should come before shiny.

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but some of us designers think usability and good design are the same thing! therefore, one cannot come before the other (in some hierarchical sense).

I think that's what he's actually trying to say there. In my own terminology, I agree good design is equivalent to good usability, but design is too often understood as "looks good", which is what the article is arguing against as less important.

I agree usability should come before shiny.

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