Richard Das

Get a Feedback Loop and Listen to It

Used properly, playtesting does not tell you what to do, so much as it tells you what you have in front of you. It shines a light into the possibility space of the game– a light of a different color or from a different angle than you are used to, one that makes possible a better understanding of its true shape. In this sense, a game designer’s artistry is not thwarted by the playtest. The artistry is present in how he or she reacts to the results.

This could (and should) just as easily be applied to “web” and interactive design. (via Magical Wasteland)