Usability gurus, like Donald Norman, have been telling us that products and website need to be easy to use for years. Why do we still get poorly designed products? Maybe it is because the proponents do not tie usability to bottom line.
Why Things Don't Work (Business 2.0 - Web Article)
With few exceptions, top executives want the products their companies develop to be easy to figure out. But at one time or another, we've all found ourselves staring at an electronic device, wondering what button is supposed to do what. We've all pulled or pushed a door the wrong way because it was unclear whether we were supposed to push or pull. Why do so many products, whether simple or complex, not make sense?