Well, I could be wrong. Maybe.

I have one "go to" example of the worst site user interface ever. I've shared it, shown it, laughed at it and cursed it's existence. I've used words and phrases like "worst thing ever", "insulting", "abomination" and others to describe it.

It is to UI what Larry the Cable Guys is to Opera.

I'm no tease. There's a screenshot coming. So, it has no introduction, no orientation for the reader, nothing. Just circles and lines and boxes and abbreviations. Get the dramamine. It's just link after link to pdf's of text.

Click it. I dare you. You couldn't stop yourself, could you? The ultimate attraction at the world wide freak show web. Did I lie? Did it disappoint? Did you look? Look again. It gets worse, like one of those mosaics in the newspaper, the longer you stare the more it morphs and new images appear.

So recently I was with a group of engineering students. They were talking about horrible websites. I said, "I have the worst site in the world and it's from YOUR university!"

I felt like Perry Mason about to turn the accuser into the accused. Deer in the headlights.

The site loaded, I spun my laptop dramatically around, I saw their eyes trying to follow it. They leaned in with great expectation. They collectively fixed their gaze upon the monster.

"Oh", the only sound. Quick glances shot back and forth between them. A palpable sense of discomfort took the room over.

"That's my favorite site here. It is so clear and easy to understand."

"... no, look at it. See? It's horrible." I said, stating the obvious.

"No, I love that site".

Maybe the sky isn't blue.

Another student glanced at me, making eye contact for a fraction of a second, "Yeah, I like it too. It's how we're taught."

The moon is made of cheese. The earth is flat. Prius driver's aren't pretentious. Obamacare is the answer.

I just don't know anything.

"what the hell..." is all I could mumble. "how... I mean... it's got the... "

Momentarily I panicked. I have to stop using this as an example of the worst of the worst. It's not the worst. It's the best. Dizzy. Can't breathe.

But then, like someone removing kryptonite from the room, my powers began to return. A fresh breeze seemed to restore my senses. I could see again! Hallelujah, I could see!

These are engineering students. They have been taught to be engineers. They have studied and learned to speak engineering. They have spent hours, years, untold thousands of dollars to learn this visual form of engineering communication.

This page does suck! It is horrible! It is wrong in every way and for every reason because this page is not designed or intended for engineering students. It's designed for prospective students and their parents!

We cannot assume, and there is no reason to believe, that these prospective students, or their families, have any engineering training. They don't possess an understanding of schematics. They aren't versed in any of the hundreds of abbreviations and acronyms thrown about on this site the way a monkey throws his own crap!

Hooray, it's wrong! I'm right.

Whatever you build, whatever you create, make sure it is built and created FOR the intended audience. Not what the intended audience will be or what they will know, but what they are and what they know when they are on your site.

Do that and you can teach them whatever you want.

Don't do that and you'll never have the chance to teach them anything.