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...
Inline validation can also be used to indicate successful completion. For example, if your users must create a unique username, a green checkmark and a message that the username is available let users know they can proceed to the next step. Follow the error-prevention guidelines: offer suggestions
You might be wondering, "if proximity is such a problem, then why not place the labels inside the text fields?". Don't be tempted. When you place the labels inside the text field as filler text, the label disappears when users input their text and they must remember it as they fill in the field
The question about whether they would comply with the standard under all circumstances divided the developers into two camps, with 33% who would sometimes deviate from the standard. Of the 67% "loyalists," only 27% were "blind loyalists" who would follow the standard no matter what, whereas the
Blockchain Scalability: Even If Most Transactions Are in Layer II We Still Need a Layer I
Off-chain solutions can speed up the blockchain, taking cumbersome transactions away from the primary chain and reducing transaction costs by extension. It is currently unclear whether it is possible at all to scale blockchain without using some form of off-chain solution. In fact, it is unclear
Robotics and Big Data are Transforming Nursing: 4 Key Insights
Today, big data allows the industry to focus more on preventative care and to monitor the health of entire populations, predicting risk factors and personalizing care. Nurses have access to the patient’s whole health story, allowing them to provide better care, provide better, more personalized
A marketplace solution for IoT development through decentralized smart contract ledger
This is the potential IoT has which has caused proliferation of startups dealing with IoT development and motivated heavy investments by major corporations. Spending globally on IoT is projected to reach $772.5 billion in 2018 as per IDC. According to Gartner, about 20.8 billion devices are
Centered Logos Hurt Website Navigation
We compared the real Nolitan Hotel website (right) which has a centered logo, with an altered version that shows the logo in the top left corner (left). In the other 3 hotel sites we examined, brands with left logos were recalled more frequently, but the effect was not statistically significant
generic commands
Typography Terms Cheat Sheet
Some typefaces must be purchased from a type foundry, while others are available in the public domain. When deciding between typefaces for your designs, it is important to consider whether it is web-safe or not. If a typeface is not web-safe, the text may not load as desired, which typically
Net Promoter Score: What a Customer-Relations Metric Can Tell You About Your User Experience
NPS scores (like any metrics) are rarely relevant with a small sample size. Running a qualitative user test with 5 users and asking for the NPS at the end is unlikely to provide you with any valid data, yet many practitioners insist upon reporting these measures with small samples and they base
4 Noteworthy Intranet Design Trends in 2019
Ever presence of tools is another theme this year. For example, a toolbar with custom favorites and tools appeared on every page of the 3M intranet. Similarly, every page on the Norwegian Government Security and Service Organization’s intranet offered a waffle menu that led to essential
User Experience vs. Customer Experience: What’s the difference?
Interaction-level experience is what is commonly understood as the focus of UX and is concerned with designing the experience of a single interaction that a user has with a company to perform a task. Most UX designers work at the interaction level: they design the interface for a website or an
Instilling Confidence in Online Shoppers: I Bought a Sofa Online and Good UX Sealed the Deal
Joybird broke down the process into a series of smaller decisions that allowed users to compare options easily. First, it focused users on selecting a style and layout for the sofa. Each sofa was pictured in the same setting and in the same fabric, allowing users to pick the style they liked best
Hackathon 2019 Goes Boldly Where No Engineers Have Gone Before
Last week, our first hackathon of the year kicked off with more than a dozen teams and respective projects. After the 48-hour build period was up, those groups presented their cutting edge ideas to a packed audience of WP Engine employees. The presentations lasted an entire day, and only after all
generic commands
A Look Back at the WP Engine London Summit .
At the end of September, we held our 2018 WP Engine Summit in Austin, Texas. Last week, agencies, brands, and digital innovators from EMEA came together in London for the WP Engine EU Summit. Attendees discussed the future of digital experiences, Gen Z’s perception of the Internet, and the
Mobile's New Power Couple: PWA and AMP
Soon, everyone got on board and organizations began creating mobile versions of their site. However, inefficient and clunky infrastructure left users dependent on their desktop. Finally, the mobile web reached a point of maturation with the creation of Responsive Web Design. Using the same code for
Teenager’s UX: Designing for Teens
Teens are becoming more successful at navigating websites and finding what they need. At the time of the third study, the oldest participant was born in 2001 and the youngest was born in 2005; therefore, all participants in this study grew up with access to computers. Between all three studies
Slider Design: Rules of Thumb
Another major consideration when designing a touch interface is the accessibility of various UI elements. Think about how challenging it would be to interact with a slider control for users with motor difficulties. Would they be able to select a value even close to what they wanted? How much effort
A Model for Conducting UX Workshops and Exercises
It is hard to play both roles well. Because the facilitators act as authority figures throughout the exercise, their contributions will be taken at a high regard (which defeats the purpose of many of our UX collaborative exercises). Better to stay neutral. If you do not have the luxury of a
An Insider’s 11 Take-Aways from Companies Winning Industrial (IIoT) Cybersecurity
In addition to the security-in-depth strategy on their platform, GE Ventures is always on the lookout for startups that are advancing the industrial cybersecurity art. According to them, there are some very talented ones out there. Of course, IIoT is not an easy market to break into for startups
8 Things Every Business Should Know About Data Recovery
The frequency of backup must be based on data criticality and affordability. And there’s no debate on whether you should create and maintain a regular backup. The point is when and how. You should backup business database nightly. But in case some data is lost in between the backup cycle, use
Cybersecurity in the VA: A Pressing Problem That Demands Improvement
As you may guess, hospitals and healthcare organizations are highly profitable targets for hackers using ransomware. These hackers will target medical devices, shut down key systems, and wait until the hospital pays the ransom before it’s restored. In addition to putting lives at danger in the
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
generic commands
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
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 | Website Forms Usability: Top 10 Recommendations
Website Forms Usability: Top 10 Recommendations
So when I first saw the TSA’s complaint form, the design error seemed so obvious that I wondered if it might be intentional. The form includes 2 buttons at the bottom: Preview and Clear Form. The Preview label is less than ideal, since most users would expect a Submit or at least a Next button
Sympathy vs. Empathy in UX
kudryavtsev
Recruit team members with a variety of backgrounds and demographics. That will not guarantee empathy for users, but will at least be a first step in the right direction. Diversity must go wide to include experiences, skills, and attitudes acquired and evolved over each employee’s lifetime —
Shopping Online for an iPhone Plan Is Painful
It’s a balancing act to provide details without overwhelming users. But it’s essential if you want customers to get a quick and accurate picture of your offerings. Your content should answer more questions than it asks. Use progressive disclosure to inform without overwhelming: fine points that
