I find, especially with technical software, that there are times when it is apparent that the designer was far too close to the project and did not take the time to reflect on initial interactions with the design. While the appropriate context can be learned, it often becomes far from intuitive and makes operation of the interface less than fluid.

This can create problems when dealing with mission critical operations in high pressure situations. A user will be inclined to revert to a more natural metaphor under stress which can lead to operational failure with poorly designed interfaces.