I can operate almost any user interface. After all, I have 33 years’ experience using computers and 25 years’ professional experience analyzing bad designs: I know most of the ways interaction designers can confuse or annoy users. I’ve seen it all before. Or so I thought.
Despite my prowess at defeating complicated user interfaces, I was recently stumped by a simple dialog box. I simply couldn’t figure out how to proceed, so I had to close the application and use another program to achieve my goal.
The offending software shall remain nameless; it’s a nice piece of shareware that I enjoy enough to have paid the fee. Also, a single...
Unless you have an unlimited clothes budget, it’s unrealistic (and wasteful) to wear a new outfit for every single occasion, yet social media pressures us into it. Rent a Runway solves this tension elegantly by recycling (expensive) clothes across a large set of women. It’s an example of the
The software radio button was modeled after these physical radio buttons. Skeuomorphism naysayers may baulk, but using metaphors that simulate the physical world can be helpful and engaging. However, in this particular case these antiquated radios are foreign to most of the web-user population
Toggles help users update preferences, settings, and other types of information. When using toggles, provide direct labels, use standard visual design, and deliver immediate results. Keep in mind that toggle switches should only be used when the user needs to decide between two opposing states. As
Banking is the Next Personal Assistant
Technology can be the catalyst to kick off this shift, but banking decision makers must reconstruct the roles they play if they want to bring this tech-reality to life. Instead of cold, numbers-driven institutions, consumers wish to have banks that offer friendly, knowledgable and familiar faces. A
A 60-Second Trailer of the 60-Day Report on Cybersecurity
Melissa Hathaway came across our radar recently when President Obama tasked the former Bush administration aide with leading a 60-day review of Bush’s Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative; a largely classified, purported $30 billion, multi phase plan to address cybersecurity issues
CSS conversion of my Radio weblog
I’ve done a re-design of my Radio weblog, using CSS. Look ma, no tables! Yes, it’s now a tableless design. I’m doing my bit for the web standards cause, although I haven’t yet achieved 100% XHTML validation. For my re-design I used a CSS Zen Garden design by Michael Landis
6 Rules for Persuasive Storytelling
Along with understanding the terminology of your audience, you need to know what your audience members care about. Are they only interested in how much money the product will cost? Do they have a strict timeline they need to adhere to? These are concerns that will be running through their minds as
defeated by a dialog box
Portfolios for UX Researchers: Top 10 Recommendations
Remember that attention spans online are short. A hiring manager, industry peer, or conference organizer may be more invested in reading than the average person browsing the internet, but you should still try to make a strong impression quickly. Select the projects that you feel are most important
Five User Requirements for Online Ads
Autoplay video ads violate user expectations of predictability — audio suddenly starts, startling and embarrassing the user. Often it forces her to fumble around, trying to locate the source of the noise and a way to shut it down. Autoplay video prevents the user from controlling the presentation
10 Heuristics for User Interface Design: Article by Jakob Nielsen
Visibility of system status The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time. (Read full article on visibility of system status.) Match between system and the real world The system should speak the users' language, with words
User Need Statements
As their name suggests, user need statements articulate the end user’s problem we are going to solve, and why it is worth solving. They are a tool to help us stop thinking about users’ needs as nouns and start thinking about them as verbs. When done collaboratively and correctly, they can serve
Setup of an Eyetracking Study
The facilitator’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse are set up to the left of the participant’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse. In this room, we chose to place the eyetracker in the corner because it was out of the range of direct overhead lights (which can sometimes cause problems with the tracking
Gutenberg—Believe in the Beauty of Your Dreams
With regards to Genesis, the good news is that it has no substantial backwards-compatibility issues with Gutenberg. The main focus of updates to the StudioPress themes are focused on adding styles for the new Gutenberg blocks. However, what we’re most excited about are the brand new features we
defeated by a dialog box
Naughty or Nice: Check Your Ecommerce Site Twice! .
Every year it can feel like the holidays sneak up on us. We assemble, we strategize, and we take the necessary precautions yet we frequently feel like we are scrambling. For ecommerce businesses, this time of year is crucial not only for generating revenue but for generating recurrent relationships
WP Engine Named A Best Place to Work in Technology for 2019 .
When it comes to facilitating a truly enjoyable and productive workplace, it takes more than just the promise of perks and ping pong. Employees want their workplaces to reflect what they value and expect out of the company they work for: trustworthiness, morality, and the opportunity to grow both in
When a mature front-end style guide exists, the UX team spends less time creating high-fidelity design mockups for every new idea. Instead, the main design-specification deliverable can be a quick sketch that unambiguously references which components get applied where in the design. Such a library
Service Design 101
Imagine a restaurant where there are a range employees: hosts, servers, busboys, and chefs. Service design focuses on how the restaurant operates and delivers the food it promises—from sourcing and receiving ingredients, to on-boarding new chefs, to server-chef communication regarding a diner’s
Parallel & Iterative Design + Competitive Testing = High Usability
Many design teams skip competitive testing because of the added expense of testing several sites. (For example, Nielsen Norman Group currently charges $45,000 for most competitive testing and only $22,000 to test a single website. Of course, you can get cheaper tests from Tier-2 or Tier-3
The Positive Evolution of Your Business Depends on the Tech Revolution
Technology has also made it easier for everyone to stay in touch. Coworkers and employees can always be reached within minutes via texting or video chat. You can send targeted promotional email blasts to prequalified customers who are shopping at nearby businesses. Mobile technology almost
29% of Internet Users Have Bought Things From Spam Email?? Say It Aint So!
The announcement of the study concludes with these funny lines, from Anstis again: “The other way to look at this situation is from a spammer’s perspective. There are approximately 250 million people out there who are interested in these kinds of products and have made purchases from
The Key IoT Security Questions You Need To Ask
More to the point, when you’ve got a bunch of devices talking to each other over the internet, how will you safeguard data confidentiality and integrity? When choosing an IoT monitoring and connection solution, make sure that it is using industry-proven data encryption. Solutions like the Azure
3 Free Banking Apps for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs who have experienced the ups and downs of business will be comforted by the fact that Chime doesn’t extend fees for overdrafts, monthly service, transfers, or foreign transactions, and users aren’t required to keep a minimum balance. The award-winning app provides real-time
defeated by a dialog box
A 60-Second Trailer of the 60-Day Report on Cybersecurity
She explained that the original design of the Internet was driven more by considerations of interoperability rather than security, and as a result we are now faced with almost insurmountable issues. Some examples include online criminals who steal our information, mass bandits who have the ability
Technical Writers are Vital for Technology Startups
At times a start-up can discover that additional documentation is needed outside of a project in which a technical writer is hired. These writers are hired to complete documentation for applications and requested to complete operational guides. A business or tech writer is often asked to assist
Defeated By a Dialog Box | Can Hated Design Elements Be Made to Work?
Can Hated Design Elements Be Made to Work?
That said, PDF has its uses — they're just not in the realm of interactive information access. When people want to download a report for later reference, PDF shines. Indeed, I use it myself for this purpose. (As an example, see our report on social media usability, which is available for free
Carousel Usability: Designing an Effective UI for Websites with Content Overload
If you are using a carousel in the hope that people will see a variety of content, know that some people will only see the first frame or none at all. So ensure that important content is also placed mindfully in the IA and on another page of your site. Consider using a static carousel or hero image
Visibility of System Status
Even when users cannot see the effect of an action because the system does not have a screen (like is the case for voice-only devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home), a minimum feedback that the command was heard is essential. Amazon’s Echo displays a ring of light on the device to indicate
