Customization allows users to make selections and set preferences in a system, with the intent of giving users more control over the user experience. Customization allows users to select the content, layout, functionality or design that appeals to them. However, customization tools require work and input from users, so need to be designed in a way that entices and attracts usage, and provides adequate payoff for the work invested by the user.
Here are 7 tips for creating a successful customization experience:
1. Show users that customization is available.
It is not enough to offer customization to users. If users don’t know about the feature or can’t find it, they...
Take Uber for example. While the experience is hugely popular and generally pain free, there is room for enhancement — especially for large groups travelling together. Currently, a group must problem-solve in order to figure out how many “ubers” to call and and how many passengers can fit in
Low-fidelity maps are unpolished and often created with sticky notes in a flexible, unrefined manner. These maps are best in an early part of the process. Low fidelity means little commitment or creation effort and empowers people to collaborate, revise, and update as needed. Use sticky notes
If form length is a concern, you can place field labels to the left of the text fields. However, make sure that labels are of similar length and are placed as close to the text fields as possible. If the labels are too far to the left, it can be difficult to associate the correct label with its
Businesses Broke Ground on Blockchain. What Can Civic Groups Learn?
Blockchain isn’t the magic bullet some in the business community first thought it would be, but it’s hardly just hype, either. Private companies have learned where it works and where it doesn’t through trial and error, just like states and election advocates will. In the midterm elections and
Blockchain Beyond Banking
To put it simply, blockchain technology will proliferate industries far and wide at a speed that will leave consumers and business leaders struggling to keep pace. The change in the air has potential to cannibalize existing revenue streams and create new revenue streams; companies that don’t
9 Blockchains Transforming the Way We Pay, Play, and Work
Look past digital currencies’ nosebleed pricing volatility, and you’ll discover a robust, decentralized, secure database. Brands and technologists are quickly figuring out how to put this powerful ledger to good use. Here are several real-world examples that demonstrate cryptos’
Browser and GUI Chrome
What do we mean when talking about the "chrome" in a user interface design? An attendee asked this question during a recent course on Visual Design for Mobile and Tablet. Whenever someone asks us a basic question, I assume that many more people want the answer as well — and thus, this article on
7 tips for successful customization
Branding an Intranet
The colors and fonts used in the intranet’s visual design often closely match those used on the organization’s public-facing website, since intranets usually adhere to corporate branding guidelines. In theory, it’s a good idea to for the intranet to support the organization’s sanctioned
Service Blueprinting in Practice: Who, When, What
In defining service blueprinting, respondents with the artifact mental model placed an emphasis on the artifact, map, or visualization that is created in the service-blueprinting process, rather than on the process, people, or method used to create it. This model can be limited and limiting
Helpful Filter Categories and Values for Better UX
One usability test participant shopping for sandals on DSW’s site had a hard time understanding the filter categories. She navigated to the Women’s Clearance section of the site, but wanted to narrow the products to see only sandals. She opened the filters tray. In the tray, she saw several
Setup of an Eyetracking Study
The monitors, keyboard, mice, and tasks sheets were spread across two tables that we pushed together. The facilitator sat in a rolling chair, so she could easily move closer to the participant to adjust the eyetracking equipment as needed or to hand him a task sheet. The participant sat in a fixed
Ecommerce Usability Improvements
In general, sites would benefit from a longer-term perspective on the full sales cycle and total user experience. A transmedia design strategy should reach beyond the main website to encompass a mobile site, an email newsletter strategy, and good customer service (including good confirmation
Introducing Revolution Pro, the First Block-Based Genesis Theme
Atomic Blocks is one of the most popular and most downloaded libraries of beautiful, responsive, and customizable blocks for WordPress 5.0. In addition to giving users the ability to quickly add great-looking elements to their web pages without touching a line of code, Atomic Blocks also offers
7 tips for successful customization
WP Engine CEO Heather Brunner Named DivInc Executive of the Year
Heather’s leadership at WP Engine has been instrumental in helping the company build an enduring, predictable business, particularly after a key investment from Silver Lake last January, as well as the recent acquisition of StudioPress. Heather also heads a diverse leadership team and has
Join WP Engine at SXSW 2019
In this panel, Brunner will be joined by popular Austin figures as they discuss who and what has been the major change agent in Austin. Brunner will represent technology while other panelists will represent food and film. Joe Nick Patoski, author of Austin to ATX: The Hippies, Pickers, Slackers
Design Guidelines for Input Steppers
Most input steppers are visual elements of a graphical user interface (i.e., they’re GUI controls), voice and gestural interfaces can also have steppers. For example, saying “volume up” or “volume down” to a voice-controlled TV set will modify the volume by a set quantity. And in a 3D
Beware Horizontal Scrolling and Mimicking Swipe on Desktop
Don’t force users to “swipe” through your content: some will, many won’t. Allow for alternative ways of navigation: give users the option to navigate with menus, too. Menus tell users what’s on your site and help them find the information that they need. Users rely on them to go deeper
UX Stories Communicate Designs
Context is the setting (time and place) in which the UX story takes place. Providing an environment for the story aids in understanding where the designed experience fits in. This context can also act as the starting point from which the plot can be built — it can be the source of story conflict
What to Consider When Leveraging File Sharing
For example, you may want to see who has looked at the file to ensure everyone is staying current on their responsibilities. If there is an issue related to the changes, it helps to see a version history so you know who made what changes and when in order to resolve those disputes. Or, you can make
AI Learning Algorithms Find Your New Target Groups
Thus, both the value contribution of a channel and the necessary interaction of the channels to optimize the conversion can be calculated. Based on extensive customer journey data, the optimal media budget allocation can be determined over time. The final media plan including the organizational
In an Experiential-Obsessed Marketplace, Surkus Uses Tech to Stand Out
The affordability and ease created by technology hasn’t completely trickled down, and George says that’s created a misconception that lingers among small brands. “There’s a perception that events have to be grandiose, multimillion-dollar affairs that only global brands can afford,” he
Images of Fitbit next smartwatch reveal heart-rate improvements
Fitbit is on schedule, as its boss James Park keeps reminding us, to launch its next smartwatch by the end of the year. We don’t know what the smartwatch will be called, though Blaze 2 seems likely, but thanks to leaks we know its design and some of the hardware improvements. Images obtained by
7 tips for successful customization
How to Differentiate Your Startup in a Red Ocean Industry
Chances are, what makes you different from your existing competitors is a pain point for their current audience. You can use this to your advantage by portraying these unpleasant experiences or perceptions. For example, if existing customers are frustrated with waiting too long for a product or
A 60-Second Trailer of the 60-Day Report on Cybersecurity
Finally, Hathaway sees this as a unique opportunity for the United States to work with countries around the world, and with organizations on an extremely local level. “We cannot succeed if our government works in isolation,” she added. It requires “leading from the top” from
7 Tips for Successful Customization | Scaling User Interfaces: An Information-Processing Approach
Scaling User Interfaces: An Information-Processing Approach
When browsing the web, users keep information about their current goal in their working memory. For instance, they will carry information such as “I am trying to plan a vacation in France for my family during the month of July”. They also use their working memory to store contextual information
Login Walls Stop Users in Their Tracks
When we discuss login walls in our mobile-usability classes, we frequently get the comment “But it’s only for the first time; the next time we keep them logged in!” Guess what: there may be no next time. Users are utterly vexed to have to enter information before they get a taste of what is
Minimize the Need for Customer Service to Improve the Omnichannel UX
We often design for the happy path through our products and services and we don’t necessarily plan for direct customer contact to be part of their journey, but customers often still need one-on-one support to overcome issues. Understanding the common reasons why customers make contact and
