[IxDA Discuss] JOB :: IA :: NYC :: UX-focused recruiter (JWG) :: Fulltime
Hey party people. Got a new gig in for ya..nice opportunity for a mid/senior IA (5 years experience) to be a big fish in a growing pond and serve as the Founding Mother/Father of this co's official UX practice as called by name; the Product folks already do quite a bit of high-level UX work, fyi. Email me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] if you're interested or can refer someone great. At a client-side search/subscription service company in Tribeca. Established company, ~300 employees, very dotcom kind of feel. Folks with entrepreneurial spirit are encouraged to apply. This INFORMATION ARCHITECT would be the sole UX representative, working very closely with UX-savvy Product Managers, across different lines of business. Description: As the Information Architect, you will be responsible for driving innovative functional design and development to our sites. You must be a leader in architecting effective and usable consumer experiences and be able to champion best practices across the organization. You have worked on a wide array of products including marketing oriented B2C, social networking and B2B sites. You have done it all and know how to keep it simple, but provide extensive functionality. You are an exceptional problem solver, always identifying new opportunities to improve the user experience and know how to communicate them to company leadership. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in the development of web-based products and services as well as exceptional wire framing skills. The Information Architect must posses a blend of business and technical savvy and be comfortable working directly with marketing, creative, and technical engineering teams. Responsibilities: . Develop thorough, realistic functional plans that support organizational objectives . Work with business owners to understand goals and help define strategy, content, and features for design of the site . Analyze audiences, their information and functional needs and present findings in clear understandable ways . Define site architecture and navigation that serves as blueprint of the site upon which all other aspects are built . Create wireframes, site maps, schematics, process maps, feature lists, mockups, visual specification, working prototypes and other artifacts to describe the intended user experience . Work hand-in-hand in a cross-functional capacity with teams to develop a consensus on product requirements taking into consideration business, legal, customer care, consumer and technical issues . Manage the internal approvals process for functional enhancements . Communicate new product developments throughout the organization . Manage ongoing changes to product implementation in response to analysis and market changes . Provide analysis on product effectiveness Requirements: . 5+ years as an interaction architect professional . BA from a top tier school . Strong knowledge of site design; mastery in principles of Web design (HCI, HTML, CSS) . Strong knowledge of user interface design processes and methodology . Must be a Visio guru . Experience designing search result user interfaces . Working knowledge of User Centered Design Principles and Practices . Thorough understanding of data and full project lifecycle . Management skills and demonstrated success launching and maintaining web-based, consumer-focused products . Thrives in a deadline-driven, fast-paced team environment . Excellent business and technical skills, quantitative analytical skills and presentation skills interested? know someone great for it? email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks! Referral bonus offered; please pass it along. Joanne Joanne Weaver President The Joanne Weaver Group UX + Creative Talent Acquisition http://www.joanneweavergroup.com +1 917 623 9369 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] seo and usability
I agree that the guideline could be expressed more clearly and that there's no obvious answer to the how much longer question, yet. It's perfect example of how marketing can interfere with clarity. I understood what you meant, but it was open for interpretation if you didn't understood the context. I am very sure that the guidelines in the book have value. What scare me, is when people read about research without understanding the context of the research, and then make generalisation based on this research. One day research says this and on another day research says something else and that is because of people ignoring context. Context defines function. I frequently have to argue with people who read research somewhere and then assume that the results apply to all conditions. Your site: Very interesting topics. Read through a few of them. I can understand why short links won't work for you as your site is very text heavy (no images to rest the eyes or break the long posts, and posts in conjunction with text heavy menus becomes visually taxing). People in certain lines of work (maybe it is personality type, maybe it is learned behaviour - maybe the experts hear can clarify) or maybe it is a stereotype to claim it, but they prefer just text. Anything else to them is a distraction. They would love your site. Other people prefer visually attractive websites and they will skim your info. I think a visual heavy website with longer text links will be less effective, because it will increase the visual clutter. For a visual heavy website shorter text links might actually be more effective. I have no research to prove this, but that would be my guess. (This is obviously not taking in account where cultures see web clutter as good.) Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] adding the twitter badge to the IxDA site?
Thanks Dave for the lengthy explanations. I think I understand the benefits of the tool, but it won't ever become my main source of communication. I am trying to cut out noice. :) Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Gorgeous Mobile UI eye-candy
These folks do some pretty good looking stuff: http://www.tat.se/conceptlab/ And here are some fun mobile concept videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tXSEtJnPh0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_FS2TiK3AI http://www.vodafone.com/flash/future/application/index.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkFSGfe2NEQ (I'm sure if you search on youtube, you'll find many more.) Leah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=29122 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why isn't voice-based UI mainstream?
I think Voice UI will not become primary mode of interaction in the near future for obvious reasons. It'll be used mostly when Visual UI is difficult to use i.e while driving a car, taking care of babies, performing surgical procedure etc Sachendra Yadav http://sachendra.wordpress.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Use cases and user scenarios
Is there a concrete distinction between use cases and user scenarios? -- Sachendra Yadav sachendra.wordpress.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Use cases and user scenarios
On Friday 16 May 2008 03:31:16 Sachendra Yadav wrote: Is there a concrete distinction between use cases and user scenarios? A use case is a description of how a user might use an application to complete a specific task and can vary in the application-specific detail from simple pseudo-code descriptions to click-level interaction. I've also heard them described as the correct answer for a task. They are used in software engineering as a way of describing, documenting, and testing system functionality. Use scenarios describe the greater context of a task including the conditions, motivation, and environment of the task for a particular user group. These usually include all the details interaction designers need to understand what the user is trying to do and what they need. Most developers have never heard of a use scenario, but will adapt use cases to include this rich, contexual user information. I've noticed that some IxDers tend to use both cases and scenarios when they actually mean use scenarios, usually the ones who have the most developer-designer experience. I've noticed myself slip when I talk to developers; since they usually aren't aware of use scenarios or the difference between cases and scenarios, they use both interchangably. I guess I unconciously switch my language so they know what I'm talking about. -- Celeste 'seele' Paul www.obso1337.org Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Use cases and user scenarios
As a side note, there are many varieties of use cases and scenarios with some of the types overlapping more than others. Here are some of the types of scenarios that are described in the literature. They vary in several dimensions including level of detail, forcus on person versus technology or organization; descriptions of present versus future, . Alternative world scenario Organizational Scenarios Individual task-level scenarios Making-sense scenarios Technology scenarios Concept of operation Misuse scenarios Day-in-the-life scenarios Normal case scenarios Alternative case scenarios Exception scenarios What-if scenarios Brief scenarios Vignettes Elaborated scenarios Complete task scenarios Similarly, there are different types of use cases including: Essential use cases Concrete use cases Conversational use cases (and a few more, but my memory is weak on this). Chauncey On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 3:31 AM, Sachendra Yadav [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Is there a concrete distinction between use cases and user scenarios? -- Sachendra Yadav sachendra.wordpress.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] seo and usability
Oddly enough, I have just gone through this at work where I am the dreaded seo specialists. It is unfortunate that search engine technology affords maximum relevance weight to the browser title and that this value has been chosen over the title displayed on the page to appear in the search results page. Unfortunately, Chris, this does not inhibit repeat visits and it does work to deliver more new traffic to the site. And, in the end, I do not find browser titles that contain terms that represent concepts on the page to be any more nonsensical than: Compare Editions, site Home or Discover product...the last being nonsensical in the extreme as there is often no discovery involved. Search results contain the gibberish page title, now a link, and a description that serves to contextualize the site (and often badly so). We've all adapted to this method and it does not seem critical enough to warrant attention let alone change. marianne [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Christine Boese Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 8:22 AM To: AJKock Cc: discuss@lists.interactiondesigners.com Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] seo and usability SEO can lead to some odd permutations... I'm not saying it is necessarily good SEO, but I've seen it happen. Example: Jamming up an HTML page title with SEO-specific keywords in the FRONT of the title, and the actual name of the site after a colon or a pipe at the end. Usability Problem: Ultimately, every HTML page title is bookmark copy, whether a browser bookmark or a delicious bookmark. Bookmarking is a helpful user activity when a site has great utility, and when you are planning to make many repeat visits, especially if you designate that bookmark for your toolbar (or in the case of the Firefox delicious plug-in, your toolbars). So the HTML page titles get truncated in many instances: toolbar bookmarks, 3-pane RSS readers, any sort of list view. I mean, nonsensical or generic HTML page titles showing up as gibberish in bookmarks lists should have vanished long ago, they are EVIL. I used to grade down my students a full letter grade if I caught them doing it... in the 1990s. A bookmark is a free ad, after all, and a free ad of the best and highest quality type. But ultimately, a bookmark is a USER UTILITY. And yet, with this new crop of SEO-happy page titles, I find myself with bookmarks that are not gibberish, but are truncated so that all I see are SEO keywords in my bookmark lists, but I can't for the life of me figure out the name of the site those wonderful keywords are describing! Makes it pretty hard for me to make those all-important repeat visits. Chris On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 6:42 AM, AJKock [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Where in particular do you find SEO at odds with good UX? SEO prefers descriptive links, which leads to some people creating long phrases which they link. Usability: I find them less readable and distracting when reading. They are also loaded with keywords which are vague, but descriptive of the content you are going to, but never spesific. Example: Linking to an article on hamburgers by using succulent beef being sacrificed on rolls with green and red salad The problem is that those keywords could have linked to many other things like steakrolls, sandwiches, etc. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Use cases and user scenarios
A use case typically includes information about how systems interact with each other as well as how the person using the system interacts with the system. For example, a use case might include information about when the application interacts with a database or another application. User scenarios focus on what happens from the perspective of someone using the system, so they don't include information about system-system interaction like use cases do. You could think of use cases and user scenarios as coming from different but overlapping perspectives. Use cases focus on the system perspective and show all the system interactions, whether they are with a person or with another system. User scenarios focus on the user perspective. They focus on all the interactions the user has. Dann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=29133 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Visual indication of a partially selected group
I've seen some software use a color to fill in the checkbox for state two. The fill color is the same as the color of the check that is present in state one. Turning the checkbox gray makes it seem unavailable -or at least un-interactable- which is not the message you are trying to send. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=28994 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Gorgeous Mobile UI eye-candy
I can't resist to plug (: Here are the results of a mobile interface design course at our university in coop with the uex folks from lg mobile: http://flickr.com/photos/fh-duesseldorf/collections/72157603894123604/ Since our focus is on graphic design, maybe you can find some inspiration there, too. milan -- ||| | | || | || | || milan guenther * interaction design p +49 173 2856689 * www.guenther.cx Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] IRC for IXDA?
I joined...hope to see some others participating. Dante Murphy | Director of User Experience| D I G I T A S H E A L T H 229 South 18th Street | Rittenhouse Square | Philadelphia, PA 19103 | USA Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.digitashealth.com -Original Message- http://chatroll.com/general/ixda-discussion Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] JOB::Interaction Designer, NYC, TMP Worldwide, Full Time
TMP Worldwide Advertising Communications, LLC (www.tmp.com..:..:Kate%20Leeson:Local%20Settings:Temporary%20Internet%20Files:2007%20Releases%20(Drafts):www.tmp.com) is North America's largest independent recruitment advertising agency and the only recruitment advertising agency recognized among the top U.S. Interactive agencies. TMP is a single source for companies to communicate their employment offerings in order to recruit and retain the best talent. Through online and traditional communications, ROI campaign management services, creative and brand management, diversity enrichment, and media planning, TMP delivers Solutions with an Interactive Edge, achieving industry-specific results across virtually every sector in business and government. Headquartered in New York City with offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia and affiliates around the globe, TMP continues to set the standard for measurable and cost-effective HR communications. In this position, you will be responsible for : Design, support and oversee interactive development projects with the creative, technology and PM teams to ensure the highest quality work is produced and the solution is intuitive and user-friendly; work closely with internal team members to provide innovative, strategic client solutions. This position reports to the Interaction Design Lead. · Work directly and indirectly with clients to help establish business objectives, identify process improvements that could be solved interactively; develop strategies, tactics and final, required interactive executions to address those needs · Experience in gathering and conducting user research (focus groups, ethnographic research, phone interviews) · Experience with usability testing, paper prototyping and user surveys · Develop documentation (content/site maps, wireframes, userflows, page schematics, personas, functional specifications) · Actively participate in client presentations (both up-front fact finding meetings, as well as the presentation of finished interactive strategies and executions) · Work closely with team members in maintaining the interactive standards for the department, including design, coding and usability, and enforce accountability when standards are not met · Work with Creative Directors, Technical Lead and Executive Producer to ensure smooth workflow between groups · Maintain a positive creative culture · Continually grow, learn and experiment with new and innovative ways in which to solve client problems, and how to turn those solutions into innovative interactive executions · Constantly assess new standards, technologies and trends, including usability methodologies, multimedia capabilities and process improvements; formulate strategies and plans for future enhancement of web sites · Attend industry conferences and training (web development, user interface, usability, etc.) · Ensure web sites are accessible from a variety of different environments ·Experience working with Recruitment, Healthcare, Government projects a plus Bachelor's degree from accredited four-year college or university ·Minimum of 3-5 years' previous experience in web development ·Attention to detail and ability to work within strict deadlines ·Recruitment Advertising experience and knowledge of human resources practices a plus ·Strong presentation skills, writing skills and effective client relations skills ·Expertise in current Internet standards, including web browsers and browser specifications ·Experience with Visio needed Send resumes to Margaret Tierney at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TMP Worldwide is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, M/F/D/V. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Ideas Worth Stealing [Plug]
I just wanted to point out Robert H's blog - and specifically his article about reinventing the About Us section of a corporate site. Check it out here: http://rhjr.net/theblog/2008/04/14/reinventing_about_us/ -- ~ will Where you innovate, how you innovate, and what you innovate are design problems - Will Evans | User Experience Architect tel +1.617.281.1281 | [EMAIL PROTECTED] twitter: https://twitter.com/semanticwill - Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Visual indication of a partially selected group
We are working on this same issue right now in our desktop app and we are using the small green filled square inside the checkbox for case # 2. I have seen this used a lot in Windows to the point that I have just assumed it is a standard. I will admit the first time I saw it during a Visual Studio Install I wondered what it meant. However expanding the treeview to display both Parent and child nodes quickly explained it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=28994 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Omnigraffle IA stencils
i think http://www.graffletopia.com is the only one you need. OG rules. you'll wonder why it tool you so long. jd On May 16, 2008, at 8:48 AM, Will Evans wrote: Hi all, For once - a non-snarky Will post. As of this week, I have made the complete switch to Mac - and after installing Omnigraffle (new OS, new machine, new everything including new way of doing wireframing and sitemapping), I am on the hunt for all site mapping and wireframing stencils. So if people could email me with links to stencils, I will digest it and post back to group. - - Jeffrey D. Gimzek | Senior User Experience Designer http://www.glassdoor.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Omnigraffle IA stencils
took. took you so long. when is spellcheck going to be more contextual ? On May 16, 2008, at 11:44 AM, Jeff Gimzek wrote: i think http://www.graffletopia.com is the only one you need. OG rules. you'll wonder why it tool you so long. jd On May 16, 2008, at 8:48 AM, Will Evans wrote: Hi all, For once - a non-snarky Will post. As of this week, I have made the complete switch to Mac - and after installing Omnigraffle (new OS, new machine, new everything including new way of doing wireframing and sitemapping), I am on the hunt for all site mapping and wireframing stencils. So if people could email me with links to stencils, I will digest it and post back to group. - - Jeffrey D. Gimzek | Senior User Experience Designer http://www.glassdoor.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Ideas Worth Stealing [Plug]
Recognizing the actual channels of communication is important, but I'd say that the argument would be better applied to the Contact Us section than the About Us section. // jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=29145 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Hand Writing in Web Design
There was recently an article in a magazine and I am not sure which one was it out of Inc, Entrepreneur or Fast Company where they were talking about increasing role of hand written design. Has anybody read that? What do you guys think of hand written design as a part of web design. Are there any websites which are very well done with hand written design. One of the blogs where I found some information is at http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/03/hand-drawing-style-in-modern-web- design/ Thanks Harvinder Singh 210-614-4198 O 210-884-1311 C [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.bestica.com Bridging the IT Talent Gap http://www.linkedin.com/in/harvindersingh No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.16/1446 - Release Date: 5/16/2008 7:42 AM Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Omnigraffle IA stencils
Graffletopia certainly, but also the good people at the Yahoo Design Pattern Library have now released an excellent co-ordinated set of UI stencils (Visio Photoshop and Illustrator too). http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/ At the IA Summit I and all the people in the UI Patterns workshop were all treated to USB keys containing the entire set of Yahoo pattern stencils and CSS code snippets. It's a very polished set. -- Tim Ostler Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] User manual workflow documentation?
Not sure if this is totally relevant to the list, but I would like some advice on writing a software user manual. The software we have developed is comparatively easy, but I still need to document some of the basic work flows. Rather than typing next, click and hold the button and drag to the desired.. I would like a better, more clear solution. Can anyone point me in the direction of some well designed user manuals that have clear work flow documentation. In addition we are thinking of including a printed poster style quick start guide. Again, examples of this done well would be appreciated. Gavin --- Gavin Burke Future Audio Workshop Ltd. Tel: 00 353 (0)93 32698 Fax: 00 353 (0)93 24463 http://www.futureaudioworkshop.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Use cases and user scenarios
On 5/16/08, Sachendra Yadav [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Is there a concrete distinction between use cases and user scenarios? Here is my take on answering your question: First the similarities: Both are functional analysis tools and help to drill down on the behaviour of a system vis-a-vis another system, components of the same system and living beings. Both can have varying levels of detailing and can be described similarly and both are created by people responsible for defining the behaviour of the system- typically business analysts, IxDers, architects etc. Now to the dissimilarities: Use cases do not qualify a user and hence take all users are entities in the system that interact with the system. Thus every use case just lists the behaviour of how a user will interact with the system. Where the user scenario differs is that it also qualifies the user by way of persona definition and hence the user is no more an entity interacting with the syetm but a living being with specific emotional, physical and technology-understanding limitations that can impact her inetraction with the system. Just to showcase the difference between teh two using an example, lets take an example of system that requires a Cashier interacting with the Cash Register. The use case will be: 1. Cashier enters the cash tendered by the Customer into the system. 2. Cash Register reports back the balance. 3. Cashier takes back the balance from the Register and gives back to Customer. 4. Cash Register prints a cash receipt. 5. Cashier gives the cash receipt to the Customer. Now if you see the user case nowhere puts in the limitations of the Cashier in terms of whether he is from first world or third world, whether the Cashier or the Customer is english speaking or only understands native language only, whether the shop where the cash register is at a duty free airport terminal or at a grocery store in the neighbourhood, whether the Cash Register can take credit card payments or only cash, whether the Cash Register supports multiple currencies or only one currency etc etc etc. Adding all these details is what defines a User Scenario. Do note a very important point and that is that the User Scenario not only creates a persona for the living being but also for the system (in the example Cash Register also has a persona defined as to whetehr it can take multiple currencies and credit card etc). So in summary what differentiates a Use Case from the User Scenario is the additional data in terms of persona creation and how that impacts the over all behaviours of the system. Hope it makes sense. Thanks Pankaj Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
