Design and the attendant ability to change things is the only way that I can hold my inner skeptic at bay. I believe that what we have discussed in this book can be applied to design at many different levels, and if we can improve our overall practice and our ability to realize the potential of the resources available to us today, that these skills may have an impact beyond short-term commercial benefit.

Therein lies the key to the point that I was trying to draw out: why is populating the home with technology designed for the office any more acceptable than wearing pajamas (which are perfectly acceptable at home) at the office?

It is much easier, cheaper, faster, and more reliable to find a little old man, a microphone, and some loud speakers than it is to find a real wizard. So it is with most systems. Fake it before you build it.

People on a design team must be as happy to be wrong as right. If their ideas hold up under strong (but fair) criticism, then great, they can proceed with confidence. If their ideas are rejected with good rationale, then they have learned something. A healthy team is made up of people who have the attitude that it is better to learn something new than to be right.