In application design, there’s a tension between power and simplicity : Users want the ability to get a lot done, but they don’t want to take the time to learn lots of complicated features.
One way to address this dilemma is to use progressive disclosure — that is, to show users only the most important options until they ask for the advanced features.
Another good approach is to use generic commands , which remain the same across many different contexts and thus reduce complexity.
Cut, Copy, Paste
The cut-copy-paste triad offers the most famous example of generic commands. These 3 basic commands suffice to let users do everything from move...
Are teens getting better or are websites getting better? Probably a bit of both. We observed many of the same bad user habits among teens in our last study as we saw in our first study, back in 2004. Thus, the improved performance obviously stems in part from improvements in website design. That
We get countless questions about small details in UI design that don't matter much to the overall user experience. One classic is the order of buttons in dialog boxes: OK / Cancel Cancel / OK Both are reasonable choices, and people can argue for hours about their preferences: Listing OK
Tree maps (which show a hierarchical data set as a series of nested rectangles of different sizes, where the size of each rectangle corresponds to a numeric value) can be useful at representing a complex data space in a compact overview, when there is opportunity for users to leisurely explore the
How Blockchain Can Solve Major Problems for Gig Economy Freelancers
In addition to better (and faster) payments, cryptocurrency is also much more secure. Identity verification is done through consensus and community trust, which makes identity theft technically impossible. All information is stored and encrypted in the blockchain in an unalterable format, which
5 Real Life Blockchain Implementations Outside of Cryptocurrency
Medicalchain aims to use blockchain technology to securely store medical records. Using a distributed ledger for healthcare is a godsend as it allows doctors, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacists, and health insurers to have more immediate access to health records, which could help save lives
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’
Beyond Usability: 3 User Experiences Reshaping Their Industries
It used to be that you would buy two or three nice outfits to have in your wardrobe and would rotate them for special events. But in today’s era, with social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, all your friends will see what you wear, whether they go to the same event or not. And even
generic commands
User Need Statements
In design thinking (as well as in any product-development process), it is important to define the problem you want to solve before spending time and resources on generating possible solutions. (A great solution to the wrong problem will fail.) This approach maximizes resource use and decreases the
The Layer-Cake Pattern of Scanning Content on the Web
People don’t usually read every word on a webpage, in an app, or even in an article or text passage. Instead, they often scan — because their experience with many websites has taught them that scanning can deliver almost the same value (that is, amount of information) with significant less
Usability 101: Introduction to Usability
To identify a design's most important usability problems, testing 5 users is typically enough. Rather than run a big, expensive study, it's a better use of resources to run many small tests and revise the design between each one so you can fix the usability flaws as you identify them. Iterative
Accot-Zhai Steering Law: Implications for UI Design
The Steering Law states that narrow, long tunnels are more difficult to navigate than short, wide ones. Dropdown menus, hierarchical menus, sliders, and other path-following UI elements should be designed so that the corresponding tunnel is as wide and as short as possible. Remember that such
'About Us' Information on Corporate Websites - User Research Findings
This reliance on reviews means that companies also have an opportunity to set themselves apart by including authentic review content in their About Us sections. Though users will likely still use a search engine to form their final opinions, at least surfacing unadulterated reviews shows you have
WP Engine's London Office Recognised as a Great Place to Work
In 2015, WP Engine opened our first global office in London as a physical representation of our desire to expand our team of WordPress specialists and better serve our customers globally. Since then, we’ve worked hard to create a workplace that is collaborative, productive, and fun. Today, we
generic commands
WordPress for Good: The Price of Water .
After a day of distribution, only a handful of customers took the challenge despite the fact that they were only being asked to walk a fraction of the distance a Somali child walks every day. After quenching their thirst with the water, the salesman asked them to check the ingredients on the label
A Look Back at the 2018 WP Engine Summit
We closed things out by hearing from WP Engine leaders on the WP Engine roadmap. We heard about exciting partnerships, like our recent partnership with Cloudflare, that add security and stability to the WP Engine Digital Experience Platform. We also heard about upcoming products and releases
Contextual Menus: Delivering Relevant Tools for Tasks
Don’t make users scan through a long list of disorganized commands. To help users focus on the most relevant options, place the ones used most often at the top. Because people scan lists from top to bottom, place seldomly used commands low down in the menu. Let users decide which option best
The Two UX Gulfs: Evaluation and Execution
Last week, I bought a great new Bluetooth headset — then, sadly, proceeded to spend over an hour on a frustrating quest to connect it to my computer. Despite the promises made by both the headset manual and the computer-support site, the headset did not automatically connect to the computer
A Model for Conducting UX Workshops and Exercises
During this setup, aim to describe the general characteristics of the activity, but never state what will be learned as a result of taking part in the activity. As a facilitator, you are responsible for establishing a neutral, positive foundation prior to the execution of the exercise. Like in
Three things every IoT manufacturer should do to improve security
When it comes to security, corporations are struggling to keep up with the speed at which problems evolve. For example, a researcher with Google Project Zero recently discovered a flaw in Broadcom Wi-Fi chips that could allow someone to remotely execute code on affected iPhones, Nexuses and
As Digital Identities Evolve, Data Security Should Too
Though that might sound a bit abstract, I think we can look at it as an evolution of identity. Not only that, but it’s a type of personality that’s more conducive to innovation, especially in an increasingly automated digital world. For instance, dating apps like Bumble allow users to connect
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
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
generic commands
Killer Marketing Plan For Startup Entrepreneurs
Why break the bank for your marketing needs when you can brainstorm your way to a killer marketing plan? The best marketing ideas come simple and cheap but these ideas do not come out of the blue. Your actual business plan will require an out-of-the-box, innovative thought process. You’ll
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
Generic Commands | Direct Access vs. Sequential Access: UX Definition
Direct Access vs. Sequential Access: UX Definition
In a normal, physical book, the reader is supposed to read pages one by one, in the order in which they are provided by the author. For most books (fiction, at least), it makes little sense for the reader to turn directly page 256 and start reading there. Unless, of course, that is where the reader
Beware Horizontal Scrolling and Mimicking Swipe on Desktop
Scrolling and “swiping” horizontally on the desktop is a different experience than on touchscreen tablets and mobile devices. This is one more example of why it is important to understand that people use mobile devices, tablets, and desktops differently, and why it’s beneficial to optimize
User Skills Improving, But Only Slightly
On the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain website, we asked users to look up nutritional information for various meals. Many participants thought the quick item view menu covered only breakfast items, because those were the only choices visible without scrolling (see above). Users overlooked the
