Simplest GUI widgets are the building blocks for most functionality on the web, but it’s rare to find sites that use all the dialog controls correctly. Even something as simple as radio buttons and checkboxes are incorrectly used half the time. And let’s not even get started on drop-down menus, which are horribly abused. This article talks about another design element that gets frequently misused: tabs.
(Here, I’m talking about in-page tabs , as shown in the several example screenshots below. These are the tabs you might design yourself, as part of your website or web-based application. A different kind of tabs is used as browser chrome to allow users...
In the UX field, wireframes are a common deliverable to show page-level layout ideas, whereas flowcharts are useful for documenting complex workflows and user tasks. However, despite the fact that both of these deliverables remain in common use among UX professionals, there are situations in which
In one small experiment, 26 computer science students who were taking a user interface design class were asked to design an interface for a hypothetical company having a two page user interface standard. The standard described the use of several special function keys and the way the screen was
It’s arguably cheaper to develop hybrid and web apps, as these require skills that build up on previous experience with the web. NN/g clients often find that going fully native is a lot more expensive, as it requires more specialized talent. But, on the other hand, HTML5 is fairly new, and good
Blockchain Success Stories Show Valuable Opportunities
One of the most successful applications of blockchain technology to date has managed to fly almost entirely under the radar, owing to its nuts-and-bolts purpose and decidedly un-sexy industry: logistics. The platform, known as TradeLens, is a joint venture between tech giant IBM and global shipping
5G and Blockchain: What to Expect
These make it possible for even the tiniest IoT devices to get connected to the ecosystem cost-effectively. 5G networks will allow for the interconnection of a lot more devices simultaneously. It is estimated that there could be up to 100 billion IoT connections by 2025. The rise of 5G networks
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
Branding an Intranet
Most Intranets are created and owned by IT, HR, Corporate Communications, or a combination of these departments. While these teams have the necessary skills to create and maintain great intranets, they don’t usually include experts in branding. Thus, intranets frequently lack a brand identity. A
tabs, used right
Why User Interviews Fail
First, pilot your interview guide on yourself to learn how you would answer the questions in your interview guide. Even asking yourself your own questions might make it clear that some of your questions don’t work. Second, before you run your interviews with lots of users, recruit one user for a
‘Our Users Are Everyone’: Designing Mass-Market Products for Large User Audiences
And vice versa — infrequent use implies less familiarity and less importance to the user. Of course, there are exceptions: some usage scenarios are infrequent but very important (such as buying a house), while some interfaces may remain a mystery even to people who use them every day. But for
The State of Transactional Email
Even though transactional messages are typically sent after the user has placed an order, these messages have substantial business value in improving customer satisfaction. They can increase the likelihood that the user will place another order in the future. Each email is another touchpoint on the
Does User Annoyance Matter?
Knowing a better design exists made it painful to sit, day after day, and watch users fight with the mouse to scroll through the huge menu. Sometimes users selected the wrong menu option and then had to waste even more time with the drop-down. And, in this study, we mainly tested young, able-bodied
UX Research Cheat Sheet
When deciding where to start or what to focus on first, use some of these top UX methods. Some methods may be more appropriate than others, depending on time constraints, system maturity, type of product or service, and the current top concerns. It’s a good idea to use different or alternating
StudioPress Theme Spotlight: Academy Pro Theme
In an effort to help the WordPress community grow and prosper as well as expand and add value to the WP Engine Digital Experience platform, WP Engine recently acquired StudioPress. For our customers, this means, in addition to the Genesis framework, they’ll have access to 35 premium themes. All
tabs, used right
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
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
Design Charrettes & Team Sketching: ½ Inspiration, ½ Buy-In
You can successfully conduct and use information gleaned in design charrettes at any time during a project cycle. Of course, set realistic goals for the session based on what can be done now. For example, don’t set a grand goal when your website is almost complete. Conversely, set sights high
What Is Design Thinking, Really? (What Practitioners Say)
Regardless of your own perception of design thinking, it is important to have an educated understanding of how others define design thinking. As indicated above, design thinking can mean a variety of things to different people. When collaborating or sharing your own experiences (whether positive or
Front-end style guides are becoming one of the most useful UX deliverables. They are especially important in Agile environments, where enabling more efficient design workflows is critical to keeping the fast pace of development. When developed rigorously, style guides promote consistent design
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
Why AI and Viztech hold the key to a safer internet
Pioneers in the new field of Viztech have developed a highly effective adult and violence video filter. It uses AI to identify terrorist and other harmful digital content automatically – and not within two hours of being published, but before it actually goes live. It can spot inappropriate
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 Startup Should Take out a Business Loan that Makes Sense
Taking out any loan for your business or personal use is easy nowadays, but it is highly essential that you take out a loan that makes sense. No one wants to fall into a debt trap making life difficult. If you’re going to be stress-free then you should consider your need and most importantly
tabs, used right
Building a Workplace for the Next 100 Years
The astounding shortage of computer science professionals in the US demonstrates the need for enterprises to become less reliant upon IT professionals to persist in digital transformation. SMBs often have a limited IT budget and were previously unable to utilize high-tech tools to improve
Mistakes University Students and Graduates Make in Their Jobs
Finding the first job after the graduation is the most time consuming and stressful task. Despite of knowledge and skills, it becomes difficult to climb up the ladder of the career. Choosing the right career is important as it will impact you the whole life. There are many considerations in
Tabs, Used Right | Homepage Real Estate Allocation
Homepage Real Estate Allocation
The only positive development during these 12 years is that much less space is consumed by system chrome — that is, the Windows taskbar, the browser menus, the URL field, and so on. Of course, when I say “less space,” this is true only in a relative sense: because computer screens are much
Marginalia of Web Design
As part of the HTML standard, every Web page should have a <TITLE> defined in its header. Page titles are important for navigation support since they are normally the default way to refer to pages in various navigation support mechanisms such as bookmark lists, history lists, overview
Usability Testing of Advanced Homepage Concepts (by Jakob Nielsen)
Most users found it difficult to read the "Shopping Forums" text that went vertically from the bottom to the top. Several users didn't see the Sun logo at first. Most users complained about not knowing what would happen if they clicked in areas where multiple lenses were overlapping. Some users had
