Mark Hurst’s “The top 8 mistakes in usability (and the companies investing in it”) flogs usability research when it’s misapplied, misguided, or misunderstood, and he lists some common pitfalls. The real takeaway, though, is his top-line summary:

[W]hen committing to customer-centered development (of a product, service, website, or whatever), it’s important to stay strategic, always try to improve the business, and listen to customers (as human beings, not as users of a tool).

The longer I do this kind of work, the more confirmation I get that it’s ultimately about understanding the relationship between customer and business, and how to help them achieve their respective goals in the context of their interaction. The rest is just execution.