Fallibility of groups

Cris over at Live by the Chip just asked an interesting question:

Which is more user-centric: an interface designed from the ground up with user accessibility as its core construct? Or an interface that doesn't drive you immediately insane, yet makes its way to market 12 months sooner?

My gut feeling is to go with the former. I feel that the user should have the purest experience possible with a website or any other product. However, there are some obvious issues with this.

First, and most obvious, the interface designer (ID) is never going to be the only person making the decisions regarding the interface. There will always be interference and miscommunication about how things should be built.

Second, I don't believe that a pure site is entirely up to that same ID. The best site is going to be built with input from many different people. That input feeds into the best UX design possible.

---

I understand Cris' concerns about another hit to the work that IA/UX/ID people do, but at the same time, we only have so much ability to affect a given project. What we've developed during this project is still many times better and more powerful than what our clients have had to use for the last 3 years. I think that even if he and I were able to control everything we feel we should have, we would be coming up with other ways to better the system. Knowing us, we'd never be completely happy with what we've got.

I'm sure that one of these days, either working together or separate, we'll both be able to be in control of a project, and we'll build it exactly the way we want.

And then someone will tell us it's wrong.