Re: [IxDA Discuss] Resiliency of IxDA Jobs in a Major Recession
Very interesting discussion here. For someone who has been freelancing in the areas of UXD/ product strategy for the past few years, I notice a little oddity in the market these days: contrary to my expectation, given the dismal market sentiment, I see way too many openings for full time UX folk, than for freelance. Things may change as the bad news just keeps coming. Anyone else notice this? -Anjali 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] The biggest problems
Christina, I think you are over simplifying here. If there is anything I have learned this election season is that frames, rhetoric, semantics, and titles mean EVERYTHING. They set up the mental models from which we construct our world view, and they create our own self-identity from which we juxtapose ourselves against that world and the other people in it. 1) Why is the only way up, out? Why can't we do what Luke Wroblewski and others at Yahoo have done and go the route of the Design Principal, the non-management role? 2) Design is not just part of a title, it is philosophically a different way of thinking about problem analysis and solving. Having your title reframed to suit corporate culture may be short term effective, but long term you may not be sought after for that difference. Historically, (yes, I'm about to sound paranoid) this has been the chief way to assimilate and acculturate groups of people into the larger cultural mindset. I'm a very politically minded individual and I believe that design is more than a tool for problem solving to be honest, but actually is a core professionalization for non-linear thinking. In a world where linear analytical thought is taught to our young ones at younger and younger ages, destroying their creativity, I for one want to keep every last bit of it in all symbols. 3) I have to ask another question. Can we be effective as designers without being at the C seat? I have seen tons of great design work done outside the corporate executive office. -- dave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33964 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] ACD/UCD Round Two
@Steve, great point about business needs at some level driving design decisions. In my fullday workshop at d.Construct I talked about this very problem, and I argued that the question what activity do we wish to support is a better question than what users do we wish to target. However, it's clear that if your audience does not change (such as if you're building an intranet) then the opposite applies. But in general, I think it's clear that the most successful software is that which nails to the ground an activity. Even in very niche world of professional web design, for example, each successful application focuses on specific activities within that world. There is no software for web designers that supports everything...there are several pieces that fit different activities that all web designers use piecemeal to get the job done. For example, I use a text editor, ftp program, graphics program, diagramming program, version control program, and communications tools to get it all done...and I recognize each of these pieces of software for the specific activity it supports. And to your point...can you provide more examples where ACD or UCD falls down in the area of business consideration and strategy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33980 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] Resiliency of IxDA Jobs in a Major Recession
If you don't know how to write good HTML CSS markup, or have a good enough grasp of JavaScript to be able to work with something JQuery, then get some books and get to learning how to code. Axure doesn't cut it. WSYWIG approaches to this won't cut it. -- Andrei Herasimchuk While this is true on one level, on another I'm not so sure. Designers who have these coding skills are pretty expensive. Designers without coding skills but with a solid understanding of the technologies can still help an org out in a very beneficial way, and at a lower cost than a developer/designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34025 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] multi-user design collaboration
Hello Melissa, try to parse the Group-Office web application.In past I found it as a valid alternative to do simple but usable for everyday users shared collaboration with such concurrent locking feature. Google Docs works in a similar manner. Cheers Luca Cappelletti sorry for top quoting I'm using GMail standalone app on a Nokia N73 that does not provide me the capability to control a Reply text format 2008/10/7, Melissa Sherman [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Multi-user design application collaboration: what works? Love to hear what applications or systems are your favorites. Especially interested in those that provide multi-user collaboration beyond file check-in and check-out – such as the ability to work on the same file at the same time or the ability to check out design elements. Melissa 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 -- --- Luca Cappelletti http://developer.infodomestic.com ...Together we stand, divided we fall. .O. ..O OOO GTalk,MSN: luca dot cappelletti at gmail dot com Linux Registered User: #223411 Ubuntu Registered User: #7221 l'intelligenza è utile per la sopravvivenza se ci permette di estinguere una cattiva idea prima che la cattiva idea estingua noi La chiave di ogni uomo è il suo pensiero. Benché egli possa apparire saldo e autonomo, ha un criterio cui obbedisce, che è l'idea in base alla quale classifica tutte le cose. Può essere cambiato solo mostrandogli una nuova idea che sovrasti la sua Uno studioso è soltanto un modo in cui una biblioteca crea un'altra biblioteca 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] ACD/UCD Round Two
I'll let the academics duke it out over the difference between ACD and UCD. Personally, I find the definitions and distinctions made at the broad/abstract level fairly useless. In practice, users and activities cannot be separated, or for that matter, prioritized, one over the other. They are two sides of the same coin. Just as you can't have heads without tails, you cannot have an activity without and actor (user). And while you can theoritecally have a user without an activity, they wouldn't be doing anything -- thus, no interaction could occur, thus such a user is not relevant to an Interaction Designer. So, call it what you want, but good design requires careful attention to both users and activities, and it requires them in conjunction. Cooper does place a lot of emphasis on Personas, but those personas' activites are described via scenarios almost as early in the process. Scenarios are activity based. Additionally, the personas are generated based on behavioral patterns (along with goals). Again, behavioral patterns are an ativity-based phenominon. Mental models are activity-based, but they are based on the activities of a specific user or user group. Basing a mental model on an unknown or undefined user is not useful. So again, from an academic standpoint, there may be different artifacts defined, but in practice, I have found the tools provided by both to be quite compatible. As for language, I prefer UCD because it serves as a reminder to always look back to the user. I find in the real world, little or no reminder is needed to focus on activities (and even less so on tasks). That seems to be the natural direction that development teams and business stakeholders focus. It is the user's goals, motivations, expectations, etc. that is so easily forgotten as projects progress. The value of the user-centered objects is keeping those user attributes in the forefront through-out the process and not getting caught solely in the minutia of the tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33980 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] The biggest problems
We are more than a title. One would never know from all this hair splitting over...titles. -- Kontra http://counternotions.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] ACD/UCD Round Two
Joshua, To be fair, my experience does not point to a failure of UCD or ACD. However, I recently listened to a UCD case study at the ozIA 2008 conference that demonstrated a clear lack of insight into the business consideration of the project. The team had several options from which to choose and settled on one which compromised a significant component of the client's brand, and the experience they wished to give customers. The proposed solution was tested - successfully - and the team then set about 'convincing the client' for some hours (reportedly). The alternate, and IMHO much more closely aligned, solutions were not tested. The project followed a UCD process to the letter. It was thorough, innovative, and comprehensive. In terms of the original brief, it can only be considered a success. However I can't but help feel like something fundamental about the business was sacrificed without ceremony, regard, or need. And I suspect that the business owners are nagged by the same feelings. To your first point, though, for all the discussion about the distinctions between UCD, ACD, GDD etc, I'm yet to see any compelling evidence to suggest that one is better - irrespective of the project, team makeup, team capability etc - than any of the others. I would suggest, based on my own experience, that it is impossible to separate the success of the method from these other factors. I hope that helps clarify my earlier comment. Steve 2008/10/8 Joshua Porter [EMAIL PROTECTED] @Steve, great point about business needs at some level driving design decisions. In my fullday workshop at d.Construct I talked about this very problem, and I argued that the question what activity do we wish to support is a better question than what users do we wish to target. However, it's clear that if your audience does not change (such as if you're building an intranet) then the opposite applies. But in general, I think it's clear that the most successful software is that which nails to the ground an activity. Even in very niche world of professional web design, for example, each successful application focuses on specific activities within that world. There is no software for web designers that supports everything...there are several pieces that fit different activities that all web designers use piecemeal to get the job done. For example, I use a text editor, ftp program, graphics program, diagramming program, version control program, and communications tools to get it all done...and I recognize each of these pieces of software for the specific activity it supports. And to your point...can you provide more examples where ACD or UCD falls down in the area of business consideration and strategy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33980 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 -- -- Steve 'Doc' Baty B.Sc (Maths), M.EC, MBA Principal Consultant Meld Consulting M: +61 417 061 292 E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] UX Statistics: http://uxstats.blogspot.com Member, UPA - www.upassoc.org Member, IA Institute - www.iainstitute.org Member, IxDA - www.ixda.org Contributor - UXMatters - www.uxmatters.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] ACD/UCD Round Two
I think Robert hit the nail on the head on at least two distinctions:
3. UCD = involves talking to users in (almost?) every case; ACD =
designer can sometimes/often become a SME on the activity with very
little or no outside research
4. UCD = users are unreliable, unstable, and often unpredictable; ACD
= activities are relatively stable, by comparison
Looking at specific industries (in my case, design software) and the
workflows that we're trying to support through our products, I see
myself most interested on the tasks users perform than on the
personas; or using the personas only as means to narrow down the
profile of users I want to recruit for concept validation test.
{ Itamar Medeiros } Information Designer
designing clear, understandable communication by
caring to structure, context, and presentation
of data and information
mobile ::: 86 13671503252
website ::: http://designative.info/
aim ::: itamarlmedeiros
skype ::: designative
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Visual Display of Information
Thanks Mike. It was easy to get pulled into reading the posts as well. -Gloria On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 11:20 PM, Mike Scott [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I really like this layout. Very cool. http://www.newsvine.com/_question/2008/10/07/1966529-who-won-the-presidential-debate 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] The biggest problems
David Malouf wrote: 1) Why is the only way up, out? Why can't we do what Luke Wroblewski and others at Yahoo have done and go the route of the Design Principal, the non-management role? This is the sort of thing that's been done with engineering for at least a couple of decades (that I know of). I've seen it work in companies where the Principal Engineers were motivated and given free reign to experiment, innovate, and most importantly, fail or go down the wrong path. I've also seen it backfire when Principal Engineers treated the position as a corner office where they could just futz around a few hours a day before going home. Personally, I decided to avoid both management and principal engineer tracks and instead broaden my skills by going to design school. I think there's value in either going up or out assuming it's a calculated decision. (We'll see how right I am in a few years. :-) -- jet / KG6ZVQ http://www.flatline.net pgp: 0xD0D8C2E8 AC9B 0A23 C61A 1B4A 27C5 F799 A681 3C11 D0D8 C2E8 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] The biggest problems
Jim Leftwich wrote: I think it's important to understand where the hills in the topology are, but the outliers are also greatly important in that they map real and existing territory. Perhaps more designers can learn valuable lessons and strategies from the outliers, even as they learn from the experiences of those sharing the most commonly found situations. I agree about the value of the outliers in the valley. Here's an invitiation to you: Can you provide a roadmap for how you, as an individual, got to such a nice place? A place many people trapped in the mediocrity of the hills would love to find for themselves? And perhaps offer guidance for how others might find their own path to a similar place? I suspect telling your story in a talk, blog post, etc. would be of interest to many. Not sure here is the forum, but I suspect stories like yours would be quite popular. I'd certainly read/listen. -Scott Scott Berkun www.scottberkun.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jim Leftwich Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 4:34 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] The biggest problems What I learned over decades of consulting was that it mattered most what level the contract came in at, in terms of how much power and influence the resulting design (which would sometimes be done entirely in the consulting and sometimes in conjunction with internal developers). A contract at the Project Manager level would often lead to design decisions vetoed or watered down at higher levels from within the company. Contracts that came in at the Vice President or CEO level, even when coordinated with production departments, would often proceed much smoother and lead to products that were less compromised and ultimately more successful. There are many variables in this equation, obviously, so its important not to overgeneralize regardless of what angle any of us are coming from. As far as what you've seen and not seen Scott, I've read your book. However, my experience has been fairly different from your statement of having never seen the power over engineering or veto power. I was, at one engineering consultancy of 130, the sole designer, and definitely had great control and power to guide the integration of industrial design, software design, interaction design, and overall product experience and design, much as an architect would have in working together with very skilled builders on a custom project. Again, a single data point, but at the same point, not someone interviewed for your book, so outside of what you'd found and studied. I think it's important to understand where the hills in the topology are, but the outliers are also greatly important in that they map real and existing territory. Perhaps more designers can learn valuable lessons and strategies from the outliers, even as they learn from the experiences of those sharing the most commonly found situations. I always liked Tom Peters' books, not because he told the stories and lessons of the average corporate people, but the experiences, challenges and triumphs of those that went beyond. His books were aspirational in that way. My current role is one of defining the culture and value system near the beginning of the company. The challenges in doing that are somewhat inverted from trying to move up within traditional organizations, but given that we're constantly creating new organizations, there is much to be said about getting the genetics of organizations right at conception as opposed to trying to re-engineer organizations whose cultures and values are long set and deeply ingrained. I also understand the great value and opportunity that exists in consulting to those companies though, and helping them to make that transition and evolution as best possible. Both models, and likely everything in between, are valid approaches to moving our field forward. My own means of judging efficacy remains to look at the actual work, products, services, and career accomplishments of designers and their companies and then to seek to understand more about the diversity of those approaches, rather than try to look for the most common experiences and derive a reductionistic assessment or prescription. While it's true that designing organizations is valuable, it's also true that there will always also be much innovation occuring in small ad hoc teams that come together for a development project, and among individuals doing broad design. It's imporant to recognize the importance and distribution of both. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33964 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List
Re: [IxDA Discuss] The biggest problems
see below On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:37 PM, Scott Berkun [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: 2) Design is not just part of a title, it is philosophically a different way of thinking about problem analysis and solving. Having your title reframed to suit corporate culture may be short term effective, but long term you may not be sought after for that difference. Historically, (yes, I'm about to sound paranoid) this has been the chief way to assimilate and acculturate groups of people into the larger cultural mindset. I think this is bogus. If you kick ass at your job and get great products out the door you will always be of great interest to the 85% (my made up number) of the world that fails at one or both of those goals. It wont matter what you call yourself if you are successful: people will be interested regardless. For someone with the D word in their job title to spout on about design is predictable. For a VP of engineering or Marketing to say Our secret is design and they deserve all the power we can give them is something way more powerful. I think there is more to design than business. If business is ALL you are interested in, then I think you really aren't a designer, but rather a business person using creative thinking. Design is related to Art. Great design is more than just profit, but about cultural change, sociological change, and even political change. Why do you think there are so many designers interested in sustainability? It's b/c of the empathetic condition we embody and because of our need as designers towards positive change. The make sustainability profitable piece is just about practicalities. BTW, there is nothing wrong with just being a business person, but just be honest with yourself about it, is all. I'm a very politically minded individual and I believe that design is more than a tool for problem solving to be honest, but actually is a core professionalization for non-linear thinking. In a world where linear analytical thought is taught to our young ones at younger and younger ages, destroying their creativity, I for one want to keep every last bit of it in all symbols. I bet we agree on the goal, but as someone who has taught creative thinking, you're framework here is way more complicated than it needs to be. Why not simply be an advocate for creative thinking? Or teaching problem solving skills? If that's at the core of how you want to change the world, you'd have more allies and more people who understand what you want to achieve if you just say you are an advocate for teaching creative thinking problem solving skills. There's a bunch of groups that run national programs with this goal, and never use the word design: http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/2008/teaching-kids-creative-thinking/ Design thinking or Creative thinking is NOT all that makes up design. It isn't only about solutions. Design needs to strive for beauty, for message for narrative. Again, don't reduce design so that it is easy to sell. This is like right-wing politics that want to reduce complex issues into sound-bites so that they can be manipulated more easily. I don't think you are trying to be malevolent, but I caution reducing design to creativity or creative thinking. -- dave -- David Malouf http://synapticburn.com/ http://ixda.org/ http://motorola.com/ -- David Malouf http://synapticburn.com/ http://ixda.org/ http://motorola.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] The biggest problems
Christina, I think you are over simplifying here. If there is anything I have learned this election season is that frames, rhetoric, semantics, and titles mean EVERYTHING. They set up the mental models from which we construct our world view, and they create our own self-identity from which we juxtapose ourselves against that world and the other people in it. As Jim gracefully pointed out, we can all be right here. Titles sometimes matter and sometimes they don't. I look at Dick Chaney as someone who influenced this country more than many Presidents with the one of the most well known impotent job titles in the world: Vice President of the U.S. A title may matter is some situations, but I think how much power you have matters much more and you can have great power with a weak job title, and vice versa. If the title helps obtain power, great, but otherwise... 1) Why is the only way up, out? Why can't we do what Luke Wroblewski and others at Yahoo have done and go the route of the Design Principal, the non-management role? I don't think anyone said it's one or the other. If the problem we're trying to solve is greater influence or impact, then finding a more powerful place in a corporate hierarchy makes basic sense. We'd have to ask Luke how much power and influence he feels he has. Like I mentioned to Jim, when the pressure is on, in most companies it's the General manager of a product or website that gets to make the call, not the VP of design, not the Creative director. Jim pointed out he is, or has been an exception. The question then is how to learn from those exceptions. 2) Design is not just part of a title, it is philosophically a different way of thinking about problem analysis and solving. Having your title reframed to suit corporate culture may be short term effective, but long term you may not be sought after for that difference. Historically, (yes, I'm about to sound paranoid) this has been the chief way to assimilate and acculturate groups of people into the larger cultural mindset. I think this is bogus. If you kick ass at your job and get great products out the door you will always be of great interest to the 85% (my made up number) of the world that fails at one or both of those goals. It wont matter what you call yourself if you are successful: people will be interested regardless. For someone with the D word in their job title to spout on about design is predictable. For a VP of engineering or Marketing to say Our secret is design and they deserve all the power we can give them is something way more powerful. I'm a very politically minded individual and I believe that design is more than a tool for problem solving to be honest, but actually is a core professionalization for non-linear thinking. In a world where linear analytical thought is taught to our young ones at younger and younger ages, destroying their creativity, I for one want to keep every last bit of it in all symbols. I bet we agree on the goal, but as someone who has taught creative thinking, you're framework here is way more complicated than it needs to be. Why not simply be an advocate for creative thinking? Or teaching problem solving skills? If that's at the core of how you want to change the world, you'd have more allies and more people who understand what you want to achieve if you just say you are an advocate for teaching creative thinking problem solving skills. There's a bunch of groups that run national programs with this goal, and never use the word design: http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/2008/teaching-kids-creative-thinking/ -Scott Scott Berkun www.scottberkun.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] form design - something to ponder
So I was just going through yet another useless registration form (cisco's, just so I can download their VPN client) and something occurred to me, looking at their random password rules (Your password must contain both upper and lowercase alphanumeric characters (a-z, A- Z,1,2,3...), and must be least eight characters long.). I don't think I have ever seen a form that shows the rules you needed to follow when you chose the password when you have to enter it later on. so, for example, I come back to this form, and I probably will not know that it was forcing me to use an uppercase letter, which I almost never do in passwords. If I knew that I would probably guess it, but not knowing that, there is no way I will. Same thing happened the other day on a retirement site. The password there was all numbers, but I didn't know that until I clicked forgot password and had to choose a new one. if they let me know the rules it would help me remember. Anyway, just thought it was odd that I don't remember ever seeing the rules posted on the other end, and I don't think I've ever seen this remarked on in a book, which is not to say it hasn't been. Michael 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] Why do designers fail? A survey (with prizes!)
As part of research I'm doing on how designers work, I'm exploring situations and reasons for why designers fail in work and group situations. Through a conversation on my blog we've identified over 40 specific situations, or patterns, that contribute to failure. Now I'd like some help in ranking their significance. The survey is open to both designers (of all kinds) and non-designers - part of the goal is to compare how designers view reasons for failure, compared to how non-designer's do. So please do forward to teammates and co-workers, regardless of their job title or role. The survey should take about 5 minutes (3 if you're smart). As prizes, I'll be giving away $100, $50 and $25 amazon.com gift certificates. Survey: http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/2008/win-prizes-why-do-designers-fail-survey / Cheers, -Scott Scott Berkun www.scottberkun.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] why the hate-on User-centered Design? (UCD history lesson)
Jared wrote: For those who care, UCD was born on the engineering side... ...UCD was a knee jerk reaction to the times... Hi Jared, Thanks for the history lesson. I am one of those that care. It sounds like you're saying the early days of UCD were a focused response to a problem (knee-jerk reaction) that didn't consider - or perhaps wasn't even aware of - the insights of industrial design. Today it seems we can apply many lessons from Dreyfuss to our work, but this is the benefit of hindsight. Would some industrial design methods have been applicable in the early days? If you et al. were to do it over again, would Dreyfuss be a valuable resource? Dave Scharn 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] ACD/UCD Round Two
Looking at specific industries (in my case, design software) and the workflows that we're trying to support through our products, I see myself most interested on the tasks users perform than on the personas; or using the personas only as means to narrow down the profile of users I want to recruit for concept validation test. Interestingly, training materials and events on design and design software very often include advice on workflow. Adobe, for example, talks about it. SXSW has offered panels on it as well (one very memorably bad one, but that's a different story). I could go on. People in many other professions, if not most or all, are also interested in how to do things more efficiently. To that end, tasks that comprise core activities are refined, simplified, sped up, and so on. Tips are passed around from person to person. Managers make decrees about how things must be done. Again, I could go on. Within an organization, the goals are generally understood—for individuals, and for the company as a whole. The job for people, then, is to do the things that meet those goals. In fact, this serves as a good example of where the mental split between UCD and ACD occurs for me. I'll explain. You can't literally design things that support goals (this system will help Jenny become a nurse). You can only design things that support activities (this app facilitates distance learning courses). Yes, the goals are important, because they often(*) dictate the activities, but since the system itself can only support an activity, and the activity is very likely applicable to an audience wider than the one a UCD approach would focus on, designing to support the activity enables designers to solve for wider audiences. By focusing on the activity, you design something that still operates effectively when separated from the goals that may have spawned it. (*): Goals do not always dictate activities, as not all design is intended to solve problems. Josh has listed examples of successful apps in terms of their activities. Amazon = purchase books, media, and other items. Blinksale = create, send, and manage invoices. Ebay = buy and sell ... stuff. Each of these sites, intended to be used by an audience of wide-ranging user types with a vast array of goals, supports an activity first and foremost. Amazon can't help me become a great drummer. Amazon can only enable me to buy books and DVDs about drumming. It doesn't need to care about my goals, and I don't need for it to care about my goals. What I need is for it to enable me to complete the activities I need to complete, regardless of my reasons for doing so. Likewise, Blinksale can't help me build a more successful design firm. All it can do is support the activity of invoicing. If Blinksale does a good job of this (which it does, btw), I can focus more time on other things that help me build a more successful design firm. In and of itself, Blinksale can't help me achieve my goals. The best I can hope for, really, is that it supports one activity really well, so that activity gets out of my way. Sorry—that was a much longer riff than I intended. Commence hole-poking ... now! -r- 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] Two column form layout
From Hugh Griffith Does anyone know of any data, or have an opinion, about laying out forms in multiple columns? I'm really keen to see your results from your testing. Meanwhile, I wrote an article called Two column forms are best avoided http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article2992.asp so you can guess from the title that I advise against two-column (or extra column) layouts. There's a longer version of the same views in our book, available from mid-November: Forms that work: designing web forms for usability (Jarrett and Gaffney) http://www.amazon.com/Forms-that-Work-Interactive-Technologies/dp/1558607102 /ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1223486164sr=8-1 http://tinyurl.com/3mo3sl By the way, I completely agree with Oleg's observations: - you need to match the layout of the online form to the layout of the source material - if users are using the form all day for data entry, then there's benefit in crushing as many data entry fields onto the form as possible. I'm not quite so sure about tables. I've seen them work well for trained users in intensive tasks, but I've also seen them fail badly for approach-and-use users on occasional tasks. Best Caroline Jarrett 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 do designers fail? A survey (with prizes!)
This is probably starting your discussion prematurely, but I have to say that I find the survey slants too much on the organization and not on the designer. Would have liked to have seen factors listed such as Innefective communication of the design or Designer cannot defend ideas well, as you allude to in the introductory blog post for the survey. The fact is that most of the organizational factors listed will always exist, no matter how hard we try to combat them-- the key for our community is to focus on breeding designers that can effectively communicate their designs and to confidently defend them. Maybe you're already on this (you do have 'designer psychology' and 'designer competence' listed as categories after all). Just wanted to get that out there on a soap box, as I've heard too often from junior designers that These guys just don't get it. Submitted and looking forward to your thoughts and analysis, - Nasir 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 do designers fail? A survey (with prizes!)
(These guys just don't get it being in reference to the organizations they work in, after having their ideas unceremoniously thrown into the wood chipper). - N 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] The biggest problems
Scott, in response to your question as to the path I've been on in my career, I've documented a simplified version of it in the presentation I gave in early 2005 at the IA Summit in Montreal. Twenty Years Of Lessons Learned http://orbitnet.com/iasummit2005/ Companion Slides: http://www.orbitnet.com/iasummit2005/iasummit2005.html I've also presented a number of my views on the role of design in the discussion I had with Luke Wroblewski, Bob Baxley, and Dirk Knemeyer in 2006: http://www.lukew.com/resources/articles/DesignVision.pdf At some point I'll want to update my presentation to include a description of the strategies I've used since 2006, however it's possible to see it as an extension of the many strategies and skills learned and employed over my entire career. In a new thread I see that you're posing a question as to the reasons designs/designers fail. I think you'll see a number of examples in my piece linked above, that doomed projects even when many of the design variables were covered successfully. I'd be happy to have a conversation with you at some point as well. Also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=33964 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 do designers fail? A survey (with prizes!)
Hi Nasir: Good points - but for obvious reasons while the survey is still open I'd ask folks to either give me feedback on the survey itself off-list, or wait until the survey is closed. Cheers, -Scott _ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nasir Barday Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 9:49 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why do designers fail? A survey (with prizes!) This is probably starting your discussion prematurely, but I have to say that I find the survey slants too much on the organization and not on the designer. Would have liked to have seen factors listed such as Innefective communication of the design or Designer cannot defend ideas well, as you allude to in the introductory blog post for the survey. The fact is that most of the organizational factors listed will always exist, no matter how hard we try to combat them-- the key for our community is to focus on breeding designers that can effectively communicate their designs and to confidently defend them. Maybe you're already on this (you do have 'designer psychology' and 'designer competence' listed as categories after all). Just wanted to get that out there on a soap box, as I've heard too often from junior designers that These guys just don't get it. Submitted and looking forward to your thoughts and analysis, - Nasir 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] Exploratree thinking guides
http://www.exploratree.org.uk If I can figure out what a thinking guide is and how it benefits me, this app might be really interesting. Anyone? -r- 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] Two column form layout
I should clarify that the recommendation, I wrote, was for data processing application, where pretty much the same forms are used all day long, not for casual web registration forms. Ah, context... Still interested in usability results. -- Oleh Kovalchuke Interaction Design is design of time http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 8:50 AM, Oleh Kovalchuke [EMAIL PROTECTED]wrote: Hello Hugh, It depends on the task: If primary task is filling new form field after field from linear data stream (copying data from paper form, for example), choose single column layout (with labels on top). If form processing is non-linear (as in editing partially filled forms) or copying data from a source with a different data flow from online form, choose layout with multiple columns to increase information density/reduce information hunting. You might also consider three column layout, if data presented is uniform (multiple date fields, for example). If data comparison is important (as in Yohan's examples), present data in tables. I am very much interested in the results of your usability study, by the way. -- Oleh Kovalchuke Interaction Design is design of time http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm 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] Two column form layout
Thanks so much for all of your input. It's very helpful! Currently, I'm designing a registration form for a health-care related web site where users will be asked to provide a lot of information like doctor and insurance info. I think the best approach here is to stick with a single column, but group certain fields (like first, middle, and last name) together on one line where I can. In the past I've worked on internal apps that had huge forms, and I utilized the two, or even three, column layouts to maximize space. We've never done any formal testing on them, but so far there haven't been any complaints from users that I've heard. However, I do plan to test these types of forms in the future as well. Like I said, I'll share results from both tests when they happen. Thanks again! Hugh On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:30 PM, Oleh Kovalchuke [EMAIL PROTECTED]wrote: I should clarify that the recommendation, I wrote, was for data processing application, where pretty much the same forms are used all day long, not for casual web registration forms. Ah, context... Still interested in usability results. -- Oleh Kovalchuke Interaction Design is design of time http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 8:50 AM, Oleh Kovalchuke [EMAIL PROTECTED]wrote: Hello Hugh, It depends on the task: If primary task is filling new form field after field from linear data stream (copying data from paper form, for example), choose single column layout (with labels on top). If form processing is non-linear (as in editing partially filled forms) or copying data from a source with a different data flow from online form, choose layout with multiple columns to increase information density/reduce information hunting. You might also consider three column layout, if data presented is uniform (multiple date fields, for example). If data comparison is important (as in Yohan's examples), present data in tables. I am very much interested in the results of your usability study, by the way. -- Oleh Kovalchuke Interaction Design is design of time http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm 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] Resiliency of IxDA Jobs in a Major Recession
The advise to learn complementary skills works well for folks who are on the junior side of things. But if you are 5-10 years into your career, that could end up being a step backwards. When times are very difficult, those are opportunities where our unique skills can help us stand out. If your company is being stressed, you might actually have better lines of communication with the executives of your company then you ever did before. Find a way to help solve their problems. Every situation is different, so no formula exists on how to do this. But if you begin to look for these chances and develop a reputation for someone who commits themselves to solving strategic problems, then you will become more valuable as things get worse. This is the harder path, but it is another path you can take. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34025 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] Resiliency of IxDA Jobs in a Major Recession
It's interesting that no one so far has suggested that IxDs could actually be in a great position during the current economic crisis. The notion that we're all expendable contradicts what appears to be the current view of Design (with a capital D) in today's so-called experience economy. More and more companies recognize these days that to remain competitive, and even exceed, in the marketplace, they need to provide superior experiences. Interaction designers are the people who enable that competitive edge. Logically, IxDs should be in a great spot. Yes, I know logic has very little to do with how people react in an economic crisis, but from what I've seen, my theory is holding true. In fact, I swear I even read something recently that supported it, but I can't remember where (I just skimmed it—sorry). I'm not sure the thing to do in an economic crisis is diversify your skill set. Seems to me the people most likely to do well are the ones who excel at something specific. I could be dead wrong, but at the moment anyway, I'm not seeing it. I know that at the same time the US economy has been sinking, I've been picking up new clients at a faster rate than ever before. (Granted, most of them are based in other countries, but the US economy directly affects many others, so I'm not sure that matters as much as it sounds.) All that said, I'm no economist, so I'm just thinking out loud here. -r- 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 Display of Information
If you like the Visual Display of Information check out: http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/ Manuel Lima who curates this site will be speaking at interaction'09|vancouver in one of the Lightning Round Talks. http://interaction09.crowdvine.com/talks/show/2599 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34034 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] Resiliency of IxDA Jobs in a Major Recession
Robert, I concur. (I've always wanted to say that.) For example: at the bank I worked for, and at the current company for whom I now consult (law firm), it's all about email and document retention. Bad email policies result in exorbitant storage costs and audit risks; lack of well-communicated paper policies results in huge stacks of boxes that are a nuisance to keep, expensive to keep, and are also audit risks. Both of these problems present a wealth of portal design opportunities. These companies have also gotten really sick of paying for big CRM software packages which ultimately can't be used because the interfaces are so bad. If you're the head honcho, what are you going to do...keep bringing the vendor back to fix their sloppy customization, or go the less expensive route, which is to bring on an in-house resource who can assist you with the interfaces for *several* applications, and as an added bonus, also provide the means to market them? This is a ton of opportunity. If you know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em, and you're adaptable enough to switch domains when needed, you can do pretty well. -Gloria 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 Display of Information
Earlier this year, Nicholas Feltron (http://feltron.com/) produced a
corporate annual report for his life last year, chock full of
infographics, statsporn, and even a flowchart!
Check it out:
http://feltron.com/index.php?/content/2007_annual_report/
{ Itamar Medeiros } Information Designer
designing clear, understandable communication by
caring to structure, context, and presentation
of data and information
mobile ::: 86 13671503252
website ::: http://designative.info/
aim ::: itamarlmedeiros
skype::: designative
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34034
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[IxDA Discuss] Research supplier near Palo Alto
Hi folks! Could you all recommend some research suppliers in or around Palo Alto, California who'd be able to recruit participants for usability testing as well as provide space to conduct it (one-way mirror, not much else)? Your wisdom and recommendations greatly appreciated -- merci beaucoup! Cheers, Liz Vice President, IxDA / www.ixda.org CDO, Devise / www.devise.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] The biggest problems
David Malouf wrote: Design thinking or Creative thinking is NOT all that makes up design. It isn't only about solutions. Design needs to strive for beauty, for message for narrative. Again, don't reduce design so that it is easy to sell. This is like right-wing politics that want to reduce complex issues into sound-bites so that they can be manipulated more easily. I don't think you are trying to be malevolent, but I caution reducing design to creativity or creative thinking. You're using a lobotomized version of what I wrote - I didn't say it was all that made up design. You also wrote: In a world where linear analytical thought is taught to our young ones at younger and younger ages, destroying their creativity, I for one want to keep every last bit of it in all symbols. YOU mentioned protecting kids creativity - and I suggested, having some knowledge on this subject, it might be easier to achieve your stated goal if you dropped the design word. I was trying to help in the context you offered. I did not offer this as a generalized way to engage the universe regarding design, nor a casting of the definition of design - I was actually responding to what you wrote, since I took the time to read it carefully and generously. On that basis, it's arrogant of you to assume ownership of the definition of the word design, which you've done here, and to take my comments out of context, put it into one of your own invention, and then criticize them. Beyond this, you can find plenty of legendary designers who wouldn't be upset about calling design a kind of problem solving (e.g. the first 5 pages of Papernak's Design for the real world). Not that I'm even making that point or want that argument - But I will say I am embarrassed for you in how narrowly, and singularly, you seem to define design. How can you can call yourself a creative thinker (which I'm assuming you do), and be so zealously defensive of a single, narrowly defined concept of what design is? The kicker is you've managed to drag partisan politics into this thread and use it to bonk me on the head - Why, why, why? :) This sort of thing can only drag a discussion down. You have significant influence over the tone of what goes on here as one of the founders of this list - but the example you've set in this thread is not one of wise discourse, generous/careful reading of posts, or warm leadership. -Scott Scott Berkun www.scottberkun.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Malouf Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 7:53 AM To: Scott Berkun Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] The biggest problems I'm a very politically minded individual and I believe that design is more than a tool for problem solving to be honest, but actually is a core professionalization for non-linear thinking. In a world where linear analytical thought is taught to our young ones at younger and younger ages, destroying their creativity, I for one want to keep every last bit of it in all symbols. I bet we agree on the goal, but as someone who has taught creative thinking, you're framework here is way more complicated than it needs to be. Why not simply be an advocate for creative thinking? Or teaching problem solving skills? If that's at the core of how you want to change the world, you'd have more allies and more people who understand what you want to achieve if you just say you are an advocate for teaching creative thinking problem solving skills. There's a bunch of groups that run national programs with this goal, and never use the word design: http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/2008/teaching-kids-creative-thinking/ Design thinking or Creative thinking is NOT all that makes up design. It isn't only about solutions. Design needs to strive for beauty, for message for narrative. Again, don't reduce design so that it is easy to sell. This is like right-wing politics that want to reduce complex issues into sound-bites so that they can be manipulated more easily. I don't think you are trying to be malevolent, but I caution reducing design to creativity or creative thinking. -- dave -- David Malouf http://synapticburn.com/ http://ixda.org/ http://motorola.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
