HBR Article Advocating the Importance of Design
What designer doesn’t like an article that well states how important design is in an organization, and how underutilized it is at the same time. That’s exactly what Umair Haque does in this great article from the Harvard Business Review…
Interaction Points: How do you talk to your users?
I came across two very interesting interactions today that made me think about the way we talk to our users. In the technology realm we talk to people every day, however it is not typically face to face. Instead we…
How Do Blind Visitors See Your Website?
I am currently working on an accessibility project at work which I find very exciting. Accessibility on the web is sadly almost entirely overlooked by many developers yet it is such an important addition to your site. Currently I am…
Automated Usability Testing
At our most recent South Florida User Experience Meet-up we discussed automated usability testing. I wanted to post the slides here for those who missed them and provide a brief description of the methodology for those who are unfamiliar.
Learning from Nicole Lazzaro: Motivation in Games
I recently came across this great video interview with Nicole Lazzaro, Founder of XEODesign Inc. on bigthink.com. She provides a very engaging presentation on why games are fun, and what motivates us to play. It’s important in designing good applications…
Action Buttons, Designing for Use
A couple weeks ago my email subscribers received a link for a “new post” that didn’t go anywhere. It’s not that the page was broken, or that the post didn’t exist. Instead the problem was that I was working on…
Designing the Little Things That Make an Impression
The home page of your web site is your online store-front. The inside pages are the equivalent to customer facing insides of your shop. So what kind of first impression are you giving to your customers? Are you a high…
Help Users Choose by Reducing Choices
Let’s face it, you probably won’t be surprised if I tell you that you’re faced with hundreds, maybe even thousands of choices a day. We are all increasingly aware that our lives have become busy messes and decision making has…
SpeedyMarks Background Color Changer
I’m testing out new functionality on Flickr, that allows me to immediately post Flickr photos to my blog. I thought I would test this out by posting a screen shot of a new website I recently stumbled upon (http://www.stumbleupon.com/).
Keep Users Engaged with Motivational Design
Intrinsic motivation, it’s what makes us want to do something because the activity of doing it in and of itself is is enjoyable. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, is when we are motivated by things outside ourselves, like money. It is…