Chapter 3 does seem like it is going against what we have discussed, which is that the user is always right. However, Hoekman suggests to create a persona, and stick to at least one (and not too many) persona that must be pleased. This means that this user is indeed always right. Therefore, this persona whose demands must be met trumps say the what a completely opposite person, or persona, would want (making them not right). Basically, a design should definitely be user-centered, but mainly designed for the ideal persona.
I think a critical point to take from the third chapter is the idea that there must be an immediate benefit to switching to your design. Statistics have shown that most users tend to stick with the first application or software they begin using regularly. This means all the extra features packed in are somewhat irrelevant, or at least when it comes to being successful. This is also primarily true because most users don't become experts, and only 'intermediate' users who would never use advanced features to begin with. Thus, the main goal is to efficiently and effectively accomplish the overall goal of the design, and make it useful for the user from the beginning.
A situation-centric approach to research is vital in designing the obvious. It is a good middle ground between activity-based (too narrow) and user-centered (too broad) research. It means more effort should be put in examining the situation the user is in, and not the user or activity itself. Another way of putting is how Hoekman notes that there can be 5 completely different people in the exact same situation. In our Project 2, I too should have done done more situational-centric research. My teammate and I focused on the activity and the user (which was us and one other person) and not on the situation at hand at all. Therefore, we should have examined the situation and not focused on how myself or Billy performed the sole task of exercising.
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