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...
Continuous feedback? Only if you attempt an operation that the system feels like letting you do. If you want to do something that’s not available, you can push and drag buttons and icons as much as you want with no effect whatsoever. No feedback, only frustration. (A good UI will show in-context
As an aside, this screen also uses radio buttons incorrectly. In theory, all five choices are mutually exclusive, which does call for radio buttons. But in the user's mental model of the workflow, there are actually two issues here: (a) new vs. old customers, and (b) how to provide the measurements
If you must make your own scrollbars, stay as close to user expectations as possible. Unless your scrollbars look like scrollbars, users might not notice them. Unless your scrollbars behave like scrollbars, users might not be able to bring the desired content into view. In either case, your
4 Ways to Enter the Blockchain Industry
The Internet combined with the decentralized framework of Blockchain now allows anyone in the world to start a business. Anyone — anywhere — will be able to execute transactions securely. Before the Internet, this kind of powerful encryption was inaccessible to many small business
Blockchain Success Stories Show Valuable Opportunities
That flies in the face of the ICO, go-it-alone route that so many blockchain startups have chosen over the last two years, and that in and of itself should be instructive. The bottom line here is if you have an idea for a blockchain solution, it’s best not to try and invent a new market
Past Bitcoin to Making Money from the Blockchain
On the blockchain now are things like property records, secure voting records, authentication of rare and valuable items like art. We’ve all heard how much safer our private issues (like health records) but what about even nonsensitive medical records? Even if you want to find a way to make
Tesla’s Touchscreen UI: A Case Study of Car-Dashboard User Interface
When my generation learned to drive, the standard hand position was 2–10 (corresponding to numbers 2 and 10 on the clock). With airbags and smaller steering wheels becoming common, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has changed its recommendation and now 3–9 has become the
generic commands
The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think
One of usability’s most hard-earned lessons is that you are not the user. This is why it’s a disaster to guess at the users’ needs. Since designers are so different from the majority of the target audience, it’s not just irrelevant what you like or what you think is easy to use — it’s
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
Five User Requirements for Online Ads
This exercise can be applied more broadly to all of the ad types: the greater the number of expectations violated, the greater the likelihood that the ad will be hated. On that same note, the fewer requirements violated, the greater the likelihood the ad will be tolerated. Thus, if UX practitioners
3 Design Considerations for Effective Mobile-App Permission Requests
Google Maps for iOS: An unexpected system-initiated request to access the media library appears when the user is about to tap Start to navigate to a local hotel. The user is left wondering how Google Maps would use that permission (the answer is: to display the details of the currently playing song
User Experience vs. Customer Experience: What’s the difference?
A good relationship-level experience requires good interaction-level and journey-level experiences, but the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It’s not enough to have good interaction- or journey-level experiences to get a good relationship-level experience. A good relationship-level
Personas vs. Jobs-to-Be-Done
Many of the arguments that suggest that personas have become irrelevant with the introduction of JTBD are based on the flawed assumption that personas are primarily demographic depictions of customers. Demographics are troublesome for product or design decisions, as they don’t provide behavioral
generic commands
5 Strategies for Presenting UX Remotely
When presenting in person, preparedness and expertise can be expressed in a variety of ways — how you dress, eye contact, energy, and more. Remotely, you lose the ability to leverage these mediums. Create tight, concise, and well organized slides to communicate preparedness and expertise. Use the
Basic Patterns for Mobile Navigation
If the site has 4–5 main navigation options, it may make sense to have them all visible on the screen at all times, especially if these are options that will likely be needed. However, keep in mind that navigation needs to be judged in the context of the overall chrome on a page: even if a site
A Look at WordCamp Los Angeles 2018 .
Surprisingly, my favorite session of the weekend came from Joe A Simpson Jr who brought a refreshing perspective to why accessibility is important. Imagine a colorblind person watching a football game in which team uniforms were all solid colors. Through a color simulator, we couldn’t tell the
WordPress for Good: The Price of Water .
Earlier this year, we honored Webby for Good nominees using WordPress to bring positive changes to the world. On November 15th, 2018 industry experts and technology innovators from across the EU will meet for the Webby’s European sister show, The Lovie Awards. Winners are selected for creating a
So planst du bezahlte Werbekampagnen
Der erste Schritt bestand aus der Planung der Kampagne. Im zweiten Schritt muss anschließend sichergestellt werden, dass das Tracking sauber und korrekt implementiert wurde. Die Gewichtung des Messens der erreichten Ziele nimmt einen ebenso hohen Stellenwert ein wie die dazugehörige
Hackers are Ready to Exploit Zero-Day Flaws; Companies are Slow to Act
Interestingly, 4.23 percent of desktops still run on Windows XP. Microsoft officially abandoned the defunct operating system in 2014. This continued use forced the company to release an emergency patch during the WannaCry ransomware outbreak of 2017. It was the same outbreak that crippled the
Remote Access Solutions: Overcoming the Challenges
Client-based remote access management systems may suffer from permissions issues or incompatibility with existing applications or work processes. This could result in lost productive time due to workarounds, retraining, or struggles to access the functionality they need. For example, according to
1Password Unveils 1Password Advanced Protection
Cyber attacks are a persistent threat to businesses, particularly among large businesses who suffer the brunt of attempts. In response, 1Password today reveals 1Password Advanced Protection, an expanded suite of security tools for businesses with complex security needs. The 1Password advanced
Meet Meural, Fine Art on My Walls at Home
At first all I wanted was to be able to purchase something wonderful and uplifting for my bedroom wall. Then the goal was — if we could just find a piece that was inspirational above the desk in the den — that would be enough. Soon, we realized that we spent much more time in the living-room and
generic commands
How to Manage Conflict at Work
They include such problems as personal crises and family problems and can also impact your relationship with colleagues at the office. If you’re having issues with something outside of the workplace, the chances are that you could be stressed out, irritated, sad, or frustrated. Clearly, you
Standardizing “Tribal Knowledge”: It’s Time for Your Company to Grow Up
Time and time again, I’ve noticed that information gets locked inside the minds and computers of employees, and, as a result, not shared with wider teams. That lack of communication can inhibit both ongoing operations and further innovation and expansion — and it becomes an even more
Generic Commands | Fancy Formatting, Fancy Words = Looks Like a Promotion = Ignored
Fancy Formatting, Fancy Words = Looks Like a Promotion = Ignored
Sadly, in this case, neither search, nor navigation, nor the Population Finder led the majority of users to the correct answer. Indeed, search was particularly bad on this site. One user said, "I know where I can probably find it faster: Google," and promptly abandoned the official Census Bureau
UX Responsibilities in Scrum Ceremonies
silenok
Sprint planning usually occurs on the first day of the sprint, or sometimes, one day prior. The goal of sprint planning is to review the prioritized backlog items again, and estimate the level of effort needed to complete them. Much like refinement, the product owner leads this discussion, seeking
Page Parking: Millennials' Multi-Tab Mania
We used to say that on the web, your competition is only a click away. That’s why anything but an awesome website is a loser. With page parking, this old argument for the business impact of user experience is ratcheted up a notch: now, several of your competitors’ sites have already been opened
