Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
Yes, the use of color does affect the download speed of a website. Websites with color download more slowly than websites without color. The hexidecimal values used to specify colors can contribute several additional bytes to HTML and CSS files. But this difference is infinitesimal and almost certainly below the threshold for detection by human beings using even the slowest of internet connections. The larger concern would be how the color itself is perceived. It's entirely possible that a darker background could appear less active and thus slower than a white background. But the opposite effect could also be achieved based on the skill of the designer. Kevin Mullet, Jakob Nielsen and Bruce Tognazzini all reference the use of color fleetingly in their writings. // jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
It shouldn't make any difference -- the choice of color does not affect the size of the data being downloaded. I do agree that there could be a user perception issue, depending on how the delay in loading overlaid graphics, background images, etc affects the order of rendering. For example, if you had white text (as images) over a dark background image, and the text loaded first with the background loading last, you would see nothing (well, you'd probably see the antialiased edges in the text, but still) until the final background image loaded. If the colors were reversed, you would see the text images over the plain white background immediately. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
To clarify, the selection of one color over another doesn't affect the size of the data, but the choice to specify color at all rather than accepting the browser default color (white or gray) does affect the size of data. But not enough to matter. // jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
I go with joshua, lets take a vey simple case of background colour in a simple html/css website. the background can be pumped from the css and so i feel to my view colours (injected through the colour index number) does not make any difference. But with regards to perception, yes there is a whole new way of approaching the situation. Also this mainly goes by the view of the corporate branding too. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] IxDA Düsseldorf/Köln Local Chap ter Meeting, July 21st 200 9
(english version further down) Hallo, Um kreative Köpfe verschiedenster Branchen zusammen zu bringen und einen regen Austausch von Ideen, Visionen und Erfahrungen zu ermöglichen, veranstalten wir das nächste Treffen des regionalen IxDA Chapter (Interaction Design Association) in Düsseldorf/Köln. IxDA steht dabei zwar im Speziellen für Interaction Design, die Treffen wollen wir jedoch nicht auf dies beschränkt wissen. Uns geht es vielmehr um Kreativität (und Austausch), obgleich analog oder digital, in Mode, Telekommunikation oder Werbung. Aufgrund der Nähe von z.B. BBDO, Grey, Esprit oder Vodafone denken wir interessante und vor allem internationale Kreative zusammenbringen zu können. Unsere IxDA Xing Gruppe steht für alle offen: http://bit.ly/4oGVdr Das nächste Treffen findet statt: am Dienstag, 21. Juli 2009 um 19.00h im Café Balthasar, Bolkerstraße 63, 40213 Düsseldorf (+49 211 322770) (in der Altstadt, gegenüber von McDonalds) Bei Fragen jederzeit erreichbar: (gern auch via Xing/LinkedIn) Andree Huk @ Xing / LinkedIn German Leon @ LinkedIn Beste Grüße, Andree / German Wenn du noch Leute kennst, freuen wir uns natürlich über eine Weiterleitung dieser Einladung. Hello, Creative people in Düsseldorf and Cologne unite. We aim to bring national and international people from a diverse set of industries together in order to facilitate casual yet intriguing discussions and exchanges of ideas, visions and perceptions around design, business and creativity. Although we will call it an IxDA Chapter (Interaction Design Association) we like to keep the discussion as open as possible toward any kind of creative profession, be it advertising, mobile communication or fashion. Because of companies like BBDO, Grey and Vodafone, we feel positive about a vivid and intriguing get-together of inquisitive people. You are welcome to join the IxDA Xing group http://bit.ly/4oGVdr The next get-together takes place: on Tuesday, July 21st, 2009, around 7pm im Café Balthasar, Bolkerstraße 63, 40213 Düsseldorf (+49 211 322770) (in the Altstadt, close to McDonalds) Feel free to touch base with (or via Xing or LinkedIn) Andree Huk @ Xing / LinkedIn German Leon @ LinkedIn Warmest Andree / German You are welcome to forward this invitation to other people in your network. Thank you. -- ||| | | || | || | || milan guenther * interaction design p +49 173 2856689 * www.guenther.cx Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Getting a start in IxD from a technical background
Hi, I asked something similar a few months back as someone in a same position -- I've got a web development background and am hoping to move more into an IxD role. I summarised the answers people kindly gave me in a blog post: http://tr.im/sqAU I don't think it says anything desperately original or which hasn't been at least hinted at in the answers to this post but I mention it in case. In general however, the answers were positive and supportive, which was encouraging. Personally, my approach is to try to take on more IxD / usability work in my current role -- which luckily is being supported. I'm also trying to do some work on the side, even personal projects, as and when I can. I hope that will allow me to build up more of a design-focused portfolio. I've also taken a postgrad-level course in UI design, but not a Master's. Good luck -- I look forward to hearing about your experiences :) Cheers, David 2009/7/14 Mike Myles mmyles2...@yahoo.com I'm surprised someone with a MS in HCI is not considered qualified for an IxD role. What do they see as your skill deficiencies? Is it primarily an experience issue (too senior a post), or do they feel you are lacking some specific training? As far as I'm concerned, some reasonable level of competence in development technologies is a necessary qualification for a well rounded interaction designer. It's not the only skill one needs, but it's certainly not a detriment to have. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43689 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org 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 ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Software Design Models and/or Design Patterns
Hi colleagues, Can anyone point me in the right direction to some key/seminal research on: software design models design or represented models and any guidance on whether Design Patterns is just a synonym for Design Models or something different. I have a few academic papers that cite Christopher Alexander's name. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Interaction Design in the Middle East Northern Africa
I am trying to expand my projects to the Middle East area (from Turkey to United Arab Emirates). However, I cannot find any reliable resource related to this topic. The same happens when I try to search around big Moroccan cities. Is the IxD thing sooo down in these regions? Anybody out there knows a bit more about this? I would really appreciate any feedback. Cheers, Juan -- Juan Leal Seisdeagosto.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] [EVENT] UX Book Club NYC: Thursday, July 30
Hello Gentle Readers, If you haven't started reading, now's the time to do it! We've had a bit of a stretch since the last gathering so we wanted to remind you of our next one, just two weeks away. And if you haven't RSVP'd it's still not too late to grab a copy of Nudge, get in a read and join us for some scintillating talk about the persuasive nature of our choices---ripe convo for anyone involved in user experience. The book club will be gathering on Thursday, July 30. Please RSVP on our Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95217871299ref=ts Hope the summer (finally here) is treating you well. Hope to see you at the book club! Cheers, Cindy UX Book Club NYC Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52191216814 UX Book Club wiki: http://www.uxbookclub.org/doku.php Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Micheal, That's a good question. As far as solid research goes, I haven't come across it, though I'll keep my eyes open. Wearing my user hat, if I saw 0 stars/0 reviews everywhere, I would probably get the impression that this site doesn't have a community. I'm having a similar challenge at my company (http://languageinternational.com). We don't have reviews or ratings yet, but we do have a few testimonials. One possible solution could be to only show the stars or reviews when you have 1 or more. As in, don't even show the header Reviews unless you actually have some. That way you can provide value when you have it, and avoid giving the impression that nobody is home when you don't have ratings/reviews. Good luck, Jason R. -- Jason Robb http://jasonrobb.com http://uxboston.com http://uiscraps.tumblr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from ixda.org (via iPhone) http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Another option is to have somebody go through and review each item once. I know it seems disingenuous, but frankly it's the solution most often used. Hiding the ratings until you have one results in UI inconsistency. The problem you're having has to do with user participation -- sometimes you just need to seed the site and userbase. adrian One possible solution could be to only show the stars or reviews when you have 1 or more. As in, don't even show the header Reviews unless you actually have some. That way you can provide value when you have it, and avoid giving the impression that nobody is home when you don't have ratings/reviews. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
As Adrian mentions, seeding is a bit unethical, as the reviews aren't authentic. (keeping reviews authentic is an ongoing problem all the time, however) Another idea is to reward first reviewing behavior. So, give people a special badge on their profile when they review an item first. Yelp does this for business reviews. You can see an example here: http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=AgzHzIzC6ZHTKgker0egAg Notice that this person has 50 firsts. (in the left-hand column) This method has several positive effects. 1) It gets the item in the database (hugely important for user- generated content sites like Yelp) 2) It gets a review active for that item (thus getting over the hurdle in question) 3) It rewards users in a unique way (people recognize this distinction as different than a simple review). This method is a win-win for both the site and users. Josh On Jul 15, 2009, at 9:48 AM, adrian chan wrote: Another option is to have somebody go through and review each item once. I know it seems disingenuous, but frankly it's the solution most often used. Hiding the ratings until you have one results in UI inconsistency. The problem you're having has to do with user participation -- sometimes you just need to seed the site and userbase. adrian One possible solution could be to only show the stars or reviews when you have 1 or more. As in, don't even show the header Reviews unless you actually have some. That way you can provide value when you have it, and avoid giving the impression that nobody is home when you don't have ratings/reviews. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org 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 ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
As a user, I typically dont go and start rating - depending on my mood, time available, usefulness of the content etc on product pages. Also I have seen many users who do a random rating just to complete a process without giving away the actual feel/usefulness of the product. The other way I can think of is to display how many people have visited the page and the time that they have spent on the page. Even though they may not have rated the product, this measure could be a good indicator on how many people visit and time that they may have spent on the page. This data can be tinkered to assess the content etc and decide if the product page, its description etc was in fact readable or useful. Hope this helps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
From a purely graphic design standpoint it has been clearly proven that black text on a white background is easier to read than white on black. Anything in between the two would be a judgement call. If you were mainly presenting video with a little text description a dark background would focus the user on the video window. If your site is mainly text, a light background would be the better choice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Distance Learning Option for M.S in Human Computer Interaction(HCI)
I am looking to do my M.S in Human Computer Interaction.I prefer distance learning as I want to be with my family. Does anybody know about the HCI course at Depaul University,Chicago and the HCI course at Iowa State University? Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Keyboard slope angle and key-cap shape
Greetings, I was wondering if there is any registered standard slope angle for keyboards? also I was wondering if this current square key-cap is a standard or we could have them in other shapes? Regards, Majid. -- Industrial Design, BA, University of Tehran. - - - - - - - -- - - - P.O.Box: 15635-119, Tehran, Iran. - - - - - - - -- - - - : : once upon a time Design : : http://1to3Design.blogspot.com - - - - - - - -- - - - Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
A couple more links for you: Colorblindness simulator: http://colororacle.cartography.ch/ Accessibility in Interaction Design course at the Open University: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2057 NASA/Ames Research Center - Designing with Luminance Contrast: http://colorusage.arc.nasa.gov/design_lum_0.php These guys have great info and examples at their site, recommended. Michael Micheletti On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 11:24 PM, C K Vijay Bhaskar ckvijaybhas...@gmail.com wrote: One of the sites that talks on color and usability is : http://www.colormatters.com/usability.html. You can also google for more info on this topic. About the color and download speed: The fact is that any information over the internet is just binary data that is processed via the user's computer. The speed would depend on the connection speed, the inflow of color information, the ability of the browser to decipher the color based on its internal algorithm and properties and finally the ability of the graphic chip on the mother board to aid in the processing of the color on the user's screen. With the current advancement of technology, all this happens in a matter of milliseconds or less. Hope this helps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help -- Michael Micheletti michael.michele...@gmail.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Adrian, With regards to hiding ratings: Zappos, for instance, hides the ratings on the search results page, until the shoe has been rated. http://www.quicksnapper.com/files/1946/5248341084A5DFBFF1CD89_m.png Being consistent for the sake of consistency isn't a good reason to be consistent. Hiding the ratings in this case for unrated shoes reduces the noise on the page. This is helpful, and well done, I think. Cheers, Jason R. -- Jason Robb http://jasonrobb.com http://uxboston.com http://uiscraps.tumblr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Jason, Not sure I like the zappos approach. Visually, i would prefer to have the ratings even if they're blank. For consistency's sake ;-) (If consistency isn't desired for its own sake, then for what else?) Now that's just a visual argument. In terms of what it indicates, the lack of ratings to me indicates the same thing as an unrated rating. So I dont see how they've solved that in any way: no ratings here, next to all the other shoes that do have ratings, just says no rating ... Or so it seems to me. To me absence of the ratings can be noise -- when something seems to be missing, isnt that the same kind of noise as something that's not yet filled out? We're splitting hairs, but that's what we do well. On a side note, this opens a back door to social interaction design and social usability matters: A ratings system has two social functions: to encourage the act of rating by user; to display average ratings. Interestingly, my suggestion favors the former; yours I think favors the latter. My suggestion is to leave ratings in there -- we want user to rate -- and if needs be then have one user rate just to seed the activity. Your suggestion is to remove it because it doesnt show anything, which is totally valid and true. How would we design a principle here? If the input element also provides a social connotation, which function prevails? The call to action or the display of data? Personally this is why I think a lot of social design elements introduce social bias and distortion : input mechanisms are the display mechanisms also. But that's another topic thoughts? adrian With regards to hiding ratings: Zappos, for instance, hides the ratings on the search results page, until the shoe has been rated. http://www.quicksnapper.com/files/1946/5248341084A5DFBFF1CD89_m.png Being consistent for the sake of consistency isn't a good reason to be consistent. Hiding the ratings in this case for unrated shoes reduces the noise on the page. This is helpful, and well done, I think. Cheers, Jason R. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
Another endorsement of the NASA site... it's useful when dealing with unenlightened execs as they see NASA as indisputably authoritative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] persuasive, authoritative, presentation justifying formal design process?
Can anyone recommend a persuasive, unquestionably authoritative presentation on why a formal design process, characterized by progress toward increasing precision -- for hardware AND software -- makes good business sense? I've got a VP that doesn't have the time or patience to read anything too lengthy, who's an electronics engineer, struggling to understand the needs of the burgeoning software department under him. Too much design jargon will be a turn-off. Perhaps a presentation on slide-share? Something by the CEO, or Chief Engineer of an electronics manufacturing Fortune 500 maybe? I could write up and email citing references from my own personal library (Buxton, Cooper, Goodwin, Saffer, Unger, etc.), but it would take more time to do that than I have, and I think something more visual and auditory would be most effective. I got a LOT of good insight from another thread in which Scott Berkun comments on pitching UCD (http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=41562), but this is a little different. Help me Obi-wan Kenobi... you're my only hope. Many thanks in advance!! Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Notes in Omnigraffle
We use illustrator and indesign to draw wireframes. We submit review packages to the client using PDF and ask for comments to be made in that document so that everything is in one place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43761 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] to do list transitions/animations
I am looking for some good examples of transitions in a to do list when items get removed and other items get added. I have looked at th yahoo library of transitions and found the self-healing and fade out/in transitions, but I am looking for examples of a more complicated case where several to do items get removed at once and several other new ones get added (i.e. when the user returns to the to do list after doing things elsewhere in the app). The basic cases where one to do item is removed and the rest slide up or one to do item is added and the rest slide down is easy.but I am wondering if people have created a successful transition for the more complex case or if it is just going to look strange. Julie _ Julie Stanford Principal, Sliced Bread Design 650-969-0400 x706 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Is it time to grit my teeth and bear it?
I think I know the answer to this but I want to present the case study for general input. Maybe someone has some brilliant idea I haven't thought of. Situation: I'm building a large new application for helpdesk/customer support/operations people. The major use cases for this product are input of new information such as when a new customer starts up with us or a new person joins an existing customer (about 30% of the time). This also includes use cases for when an existing record is to be edited. The 70% use cases revolve around search and look-up of information, including by people who aren't authorized to edit things anyway or who just need to find a piece of information. In response to an early set of mock-ups that focused on the inputs, the users asked for there to be view-only screens. They are concerned about inadvertent or unauthorized data change. So this Monday I presented a new set of mock-ups including both edit and view modes. The design calls for them to be very different, with the view screens optimized for quick scanning. Due to the complexity of the underlying data, the input screens have dozens of extra options that might be selected. End set-up. The presentation included developers and the dev manager. During the presentation, the developer said that he had been planning to make the view screens be the same as the edit screens but with all the input controls turned off / made inactive. The manager, with one eye clearly on the delivery schedule, leaped on this suggestion as a way to speed up his project. I tried to point out how ugly and clumsy that would make the screens and the user representative more or less saw my point and agreed. I pointed out that it would tak e the users longer to get everything done with screens full of inoperable controls. But I don't think Development is going to budge. The trouble here is that the user is going to suffer a death by a thousand cuts. No use cases are going to be blocked by this decision; it just means that every single action the users want to take will be more awkward and take longer. (How much longer is difficult to quantify just from the paper prototypes, but my guess is that it's a few seconds more on each operation.) We're a high-service operation, so the people using this app aren't going to be measured by the minute like a call center. So the question is whether I want to try to fight for the extra development time to implement proper viewing/scanning-oriented screens or just throw in the towel and let the users suffer. I can't marshal data to back up my professional intuition (not least because the project is already late and taking the time to gather the data to prove my point would put us even farther behind) but I'd bet a mighty fine dinner that doing things the programmer's way is going to cause pain and suffering. Sigh. --Alan Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is it time to grit my teeth and bear it?
I think you need to answer the question, What is the actual cost to the business of slowing down the process of finding data? Multiply the additional time it takes to use a view-only interface by the dollar cost per minute to the company of a rep's time, and you'll have a concrete reason to create a more usable interface. Unfortunately, the only way to get a measure of the difference in time needed between the two approaches is to conduct usability tests, which may not be part of the development budget (perhaps?). Hope that helps. -Anne On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 3:10 PM, Alan Wexelblatawexelb...@gmail.com wrote: I think I know the answer to this but I want to present the case study for general input. Maybe someone has some brilliant idea I haven't thought of. Situation: I'm building a large new application for helpdesk/customer support/operations people. The major use cases for this product are input of new information such as when a new customer starts up with us or a new person joins an existing customer (about 30% of the time). This also includes use cases for when an existing record is to be edited. The 70% use cases revolve around search and look-up of information, including by people who aren't authorized to edit things anyway or who just need to find a piece of information. In response to an early set of mock-ups that focused on the inputs, the users asked for there to be view-only screens. They are concerned about inadvertent or unauthorized data change. So this Monday I presented a new set of mock-ups including both edit and view modes. The design calls for them to be very different, with the view screens optimized for quick scanning. Due to the complexity of the underlying data, the input screens have dozens of extra options that might be selected. End set-up. The presentation included developers and the dev manager. During the presentation, the developer said that he had been planning to make the view screens be the same as the edit screens but with all the input controls turned off / made inactive. The manager, with one eye clearly on the delivery schedule, leaped on this suggestion as a way to speed up his project. I tried to point out how ugly and clumsy that would make the screens and the user representative more or less saw my point and agreed. I pointed out that it would tak e the users longer to get everything done with screens full of inoperable controls. But I don't think Development is going to budge. The trouble here is that the user is going to suffer a death by a thousand cuts. No use cases are going to be blocked by this decision; it just means that every single action the users want to take will be more awkward and take longer. (How much longer is difficult to quantify just from the paper prototypes, but my guess is that it's a few seconds more on each operation.) We're a high-service operation, so the people using this app aren't going to be measured by the minute like a call center. So the question is whether I want to try to fight for the extra development time to implement proper viewing/scanning-oriented screens or just throw in the towel and let the users suffer. I can't marshal data to back up my professional intuition (not least because the project is already late and taking the time to gather the data to prove my point would put us even farther behind) but I'd bet a mighty fine dinner that doing things the programmer's way is going to cause pain and suffering. Sigh. --Alan Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help -- Anne Hjortshoj | anne...@gmail.com | www.annehj.com | Skype: anne-hj Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Interaction design can affect everyone, not just people who own a computer. What does this mean for IxD?
I recently ran across another good example of interaction design that affects people who don't even own a computer or use one at work. Traci Lepore wrote about the problems with Bank of America's new ATM machines on her blog at http://traciuxd.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/why-does-it-take-me-twice-as-long-at-the-new-atms-boa/ It's another good example of the disconnect between the actual end-user and the maker of the product. The effects of free market capitalism may be negated (because the end-user doesn't buy the product, but must still use it), but I suspect the problem is still going to negatively affect Bank of America's brand perception. -dave David B. Rondeau Design Chair InContext Design ( http://www.incontextdesign.com ) http://twitter.com/dbrondeau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43446 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is it time to grit my teeth and bear it?
The extra development cost is a red herring. Producing a simpler read-only display screen is trivially easy in terms of dev cost, and if they are doing their implementation correctly, should be literally a one-line change when the new screen is functional. The programmer is (a) being lazy, and (b) being stupid. It is actually *more* work to make a single UI that has a read-only mode than it is to make two UIs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43766 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Interaction design can affect everyone, not just people who own a computer. What does this mean for IxD?
I'm surprised that this post did not talk about the fairly random sound 'cues' the new machines offer: the constant insistent bing sound that does not stop immediately when the user responds correctly. I find that really unsettling. Is the machine yelling at me? At itself? Plus, if you happen to visiting a teller within earshot of the ATMs, the clamor is amazing. Talk about a bad experience. What *were* they thinking? On Jul 15, 2009, at 8:28 AM, David Rondeau wrote: I recently ran across another good example of interaction design that affects people who don't even own a computer or use one at work. Traci Lepore wrote about the problems with Bank of America's new ATM machines on her blog at http://traciuxd.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/why-does-it-take-me-twice-as-long-at-the-new-atms-boa/ It's another good example of the disconnect between the actual end-user and the maker of the product. The effects of free market capitalism may be negated (because the end-user doesn't buy the product, but must still use it), but I suspect the problem is still going to negatively affect Bank of America's brand perception. -dave David B. Rondeau Design Chair InContext Design ( http://www.incontextdesign.com ) http://twitter.com/dbrondeau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43446 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Joan Vermette email: jayeff...@mac.com primary phone: 617-495-0184 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is it time to grit my teeth and bear it?
Alternatively, you can take the programmer's proposed design, and find a compromise that gets it closer to what you believe is more efficient. It seems like the disabled controls are the sticking point, so find a way to hide them, instead, or design the Edit page in such a way that it threads the needle between efficient editing and efficient viewing. Sounds like you have a great idea (for the users), and he has a great idea (for the timeline, which sounds like the critical path here) - one of you just could work toward the other. If the PM is already sold on the developer's concept, it sounds like you'll have to do the working =] I hate that position, and feel for you...good luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43766 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
I'd rather see a blank than read a review that was only written to solve a UI problem. Yelp's firsts do reward a certain kind of competitive behavior. It doesn't mean those people's opinions are particularly reliable. Diana On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 9:31 AM, adrian chan adr...@gravity7.com wrote: Jason, Not sure I like the zappos approach. Visually, i would prefer to have the ratings even if they're blank. For consistency's sake ;-) (If consistency isn't desired for its own sake, then for what else?) Now that's just a visual argument. In terms of what it indicates, the lack of ratings to me indicates the same thing as an unrated rating. So I dont see how they've solved that in any way: no ratings here, next to all the other shoes that do have ratings, just says no rating ... Or so it seems to me. To me absence of the ratings can be noise -- when something seems to be missing, isnt that the same kind of noise as something that's not yet filled out? We're splitting hairs, but that's what we do well. On a side note, this opens a back door to social interaction design and social usability matters: A ratings system has two social functions: to encourage the act of rating by user; to display average ratings. Interestingly, my suggestion favors the former; yours I think favors the latter. My suggestion is to leave ratings in there -- we want user to rate -- and if needs be then have one user rate just to seed the activity. Your suggestion is to remove it because it doesnt show anything, which is totally valid and true. How would we design a principle here? If the input element also provides a social connotation, which function prevails? The call to action or the display of data? Personally this is why I think a lot of social design elements introduce social bias and distortion : input mechanisms are the display mechanisms also. But that's another topic thoughts? adrian With regards to hiding ratings: Zappos, for instance, hides the ratings on the search results page, until the shoe has been rated. http://www.quicksnapper.com/files/1946/5248341084A5DFBFF1CD89_m.png Being consistent for the sake of consistency isn't a good reason to be consistent. Hiding the ratings in this case for unrated shoes reduces the noise on the page. This is helpful, and well done, I think. Cheers, Jason R. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org 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 ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Notes in Omnigraffle
Hi Anthony, I'm curious about your workflow where the annotations have to be numbered. Is this an IA process thing? Could you go in to more detail about where the existing Omnigraffle notes fails? (which appear as tooltips in omni traditional pdf notes when exported) While there's flaws with the design I do like the requirements linking capability with Outliner For the unfamiliar, see 'notes' on; http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/OmniGraffle/pro I've found it to be sufficient with the exception that exported pdfs cannot have further notes added which kills my collaborative review workflow, but thats a different issue. Just curious, I'd like to understand what you're doing a bit better - thanks /pauric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43761 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Design Pattern: Language Toggle
I'm seeking good examples of persistent language toggles/controls. My application will actually support only English Spanish but I'd love any good examples. Thanks! Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Software Design Models and/or Design Patterns
Here are a few thoughts: Models are very different than patterns. Cognitively, a pattern is a recurring phenomenon, widely used and accepted for representation of common or similar visual/non-visual elements. A model on the other hand can be a set of rules and guidance that can help in the creation of a pattern or a group of patterns. Typically, the patterns become patterns only when they are in use by many users. Otherwise it is just another piece of code or interface. Also a model can be refined only when there is a proper flow of information from the usage of the patterns. So in effect each one feeds the other for mutual symbiotic growth, but are not the same. For your query on design model, there are many process steps, but as a concise one, the only one that I had seen in the past was called the usability maturity model. The link is here: http://www.processforusability.co.uk/Usability_test/html/umm.html Hope this helps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43747 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Keyboard slope angle and key-cap shape
I am not sure of the angle as it would vary I suppose from company to company as there is always an optimum range of the angle of the keyboard - that would conform to reduction of stress to the wrist. But for the surface shape of the key-cap, I do believe that the surface area of the key cap is an essential interaction factor to enable users to type effortlessly on the key board. The hit rate of a adept user on the surface of a key cap does vary depending on the shape of the key cap. From an anatomy perspective, the fingers tips are not flat, but slightly beveled. The softness of the finger tips enable the bevel to become flat and cover more surface area only if the key cap is flat. More surface area in contact would mean higher probability of hitting the right key with the right amount of pressure. If the key cap is not square, but a rectangle or an oval - with a flat surface, it would consume a larger area in terms of placement of the rectangular or oval/circle keys. However, the oval or circular keys would have larger gaps between each key, while the rectangular one could result in longer, or wider or both shape of the key board. Apart from these there are other aspects related to relearning and adoption to the new shape etc which is not cost effective. Hope this helps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43757 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] The infamous \'generic gray head\' icon: Your design experiences, stats?
Hi everyone, I'm currently involved in a spirited discussion about the usefulness of those beloved 'generic gray head' placeholder icons. (You know, the ones in address book applications, IM clients, and other spots where a user might want to assign a personal image to a contact or other entity.) I think it's reasonable to assume that 'many' or 'most' people don't go to the trouble of manually changing these. I'd like to have more to support my theory, but a cursory web search on this topic hasn't turned up much. Have any of you had an experience that would back up or refute this hypothesis? Even better, have you run across any studies or stats along these lines? Thanks so much, Dana Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Interaction Designer - IndustryNext LLC
IndustryNext is looking for an Interaction Designer who is passionate about designing intuitive and effective user experiences. The Interaction Designer is primarily concerned with the organization, flow, and usability of the solution and not its look and feel. The Interaction Designer will be part of the creative team, report to the Creative Lead and work across multiple disciplines to design award-winning user experiences. If you are looking for an opportunity to design for mobile, touch screen, interactive TV, web and other cutting edge platforms, you are the person we are looking for. IndustryNext is a technology and design firm delivering innovative digital products and services to clients and consumers using the latest emerging technologies. We collaborate with leading media companies to launch compelling interactive consumer experiences that are utilized by millions of users. Responsibilities: Research, explore and understand the context of a particular user experience, including competitive landscape of any existing applications Lead research regarding the user and user experience; investigate and understand the needs of users while balancing client and business requirements Explore design concepts and approaches using tools such as personas, task analyses, page flows, wireframes, interaction models, etc as appropriate Present work-in-progress and final design deliverables to client teams Document architectural and interaction designs using industry standard tools Facilitate internal brainstorms and client team meetings as needed Requirements: 3 5 years of experience designing custom web and software solutions in a consulting or agency environment Demonstrated expertise in human interface guidelines, industry standards and best practices. Web, interactive TV, mobile or touch screen experience is preferred Relevant experience in the Information, Media and Entertainment industries a plus Ability to work in a highly-collaborative environment while also being able to focus on independent work Excellent problem solving skills Strong presentation and communication skills. Ability to negotiate effectively with a client and represent particular design decisions B.A. in Human Factors, HCI, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, or related field preferred Proficiency in: Adobe CS, Visio, Omnigraffle, HTML, CSS Technical skills should include a thorough understanding of HTML, CSS, XML, AJAX along with the ability to design for presentation platforms such as Flash, Flex and AIR Salary is commensurate with experience and we offer a comprehensive benefit package. To apply for this position please send resume, cover letter and salary requirements to candidate...@industrynext.com, please be sure to put Interaction Designer in the subject line. We thank you for your interest but only short listed candidates will be contacted. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Well, the particular angle I'm thinking about here is more of the shopper evaluating products versus a customer coming back to rate/review. Are there particular behavior patterns we see when a shopper finds a product with no reviews/ratings that looks good? If the same product has ample ratings/reviews elsewhere but not here, what is the user's perception (this site stinks or is untrustworthy?) and how does it affect their behavior? If the same product has few or no ratings/reviews at all anywhere, then what's my perception/behavior? - Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Design Pattern: Language Toggle
Hi Erin, By language controls do you mean something like a drop-down box to select the translation of the site? If so, I started a thread on this recently. Here: http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=42722 And see this, too: http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=42588 Cheers, Jason R. -- Jason Robb http://jasonrobb.com http://uxboston.com http://uiscraps.tumblr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43776 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Writing for Information Scent?
Becky, sounds like some of your frustration is in addressing the gap between the architecture of experiences and the content contained in those experiences. The latter is typically the purview of content developers, but usually under the guidance and direction of content strategists. While content strategy often addresses issues of category nomenclature and site-wide parity and consistency--all key to helping users sniff out information--it can also prescribe page-level consistency and cohesion. I've found Joseph Williams' Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace (sixth edition if you can find it) to be an excellent guide to writing for information scent. Specifically, he addresses consistency and cohesion within sentences, paragraphs, sections of pages, and across site categories. In a way, good structure is very fractalized, with the largest chucks (categories) mimicking the internal structure of the smallest elements (sentences) if they are organized well. Good organization was one of the big things I learned from his chapter on cohesion and coherence. Cohesion addresses the sense of flow: start sentences/paragraphs with known or familiar information, and let that lead into new information. Let one element flow to the next, judiciously incorporating repetition, passive voice, and parallelism to lead the reader from old to new. Ensure that structure stays on course. That's where coherence comes in. Coherence addresses the sense of focus. Sentences can hang together well, but lose their way by the end of a paragraph. Paragraphs that hew closely to a single topic--such as this does, to organization--can maintain both cohesion and coherence. Hope this and that Williams book help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43708 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Design Pattern: Language Toggle
Thanks Jason, this will really help! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43776 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Software Design Models and/or Design Patterns
Thanks that was concise and very helpful. Your comments and link will be very useful, especially the mutual symbiotic growth aspect. Can anyone add to Vijay's suggested further reading, especially any comments from collegues who have experience of the the usability maturity model? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43747 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Software Design Models and/or Design Patterns
On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 10:43 PM, Dave Wood i...@bazaar.me.uk wrote: and any guidance on whether Design Patterns is just a synonym for Design Models or something different. I have a few academic papers that cite Christopher Alexander's name. Yes, for seminal work, Alexander is the (physical architecture) design patterns guy. I recommend his *The Timeless Way of Building*. For software design patterns from a slightly more academic perspective, this is maybe a good start: http://hillside.net/patterns/about/. Lots of folks have built on these ideas in the software industry. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about how they relate to what you think of as design models. -Ambrose Quince Little ;) Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] [EVENT] Agile Experience Design Round Table in NYC
Hi Everyone - the date for this event is *July* 21, not Aug 21, as stated below. Sorry for any confusion! On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 5:49 PM, Anders Ramsayande...@gmail.com wrote: For those of you in the NYC area and interested in discussing the intersection between Agile and UX, join us for an Agile Experience Design Round Table this coming Tue. Aug 21. Space is limited, so don't delay RSVP'ing if you'd like to attend. Event Details and RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Agile-Experience-Design/ Hope to see you there! -Anders Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] The infamous \'generic gray head\' icon: Your design experiences, stats?
On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 7:37 AM, Dana d...@danasmithdesigns.com wrote: I think it's reasonable to assume that 'many' or 'most' people don't go to the trouble of manually changing these. I'd like to have more to support my theory, but a cursory web search on this topic hasn't turned up much. I'm curious what you want to do as an alternative. ? Just not have profile images? I brief glance at my twitter feed where I follow 800+ people, I see basically none that have not customized it. That said, surely there are contexts where allowing for a profile image doesn't help much or is not appropriate. But if it is easy enough to do and will be seen by folks who maybe don't otherwise know you, I think folks generally like to put something visual out there to sort of make a statement about themselves or even simply a head shot. I guess it depends on the audience and purpose, though. -a Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Interaction Designer - IndustryNext LLC
Job posts to this list are required to place the location of the position in the subject line. Please see: http://www.ixda.org/about_guidelines.php , section: Posting Job Listings. Cheers, Liz On Jul 15, 2009, at 11:53 AM, Erica Brown-Myrie wrote: IndustryNext is looking for an Interaction Designer who is passionate about designing intuitive and effective user experiences. The Interaction Designer is primarily concerned with the organization, flow, and usability of the solution and not its look and feel. The Interaction Designer will be part of the creative team, report to the Creative Lead and work across multiple disciplines to design award-winning user experiences. If you are looking for an opportunity to design for mobile, touch screen, interactive TV, web and other cutting edge platforms, you are the person we are looking for. IndustryNext is a technology and design firm delivering innovative digital products and services to clients and consumers using the latest emerging technologies. We collaborate with leading media companies to launch compelling interactive consumer experiences that are utilized by millions of users. Responsibilities: Research, explore and understand the context of a particular user experience, including competitive landscape of any existing applications Lead research regarding the user and user experience; investigate and understand the needs of users while balancing client and business requirements Explore design concepts and approaches using tools such as personas, task analyses, page flows, wireframes, interaction models, etc as appropriate Present work-in-progress and final design deliverables to client teams Document architectural and interaction designs using industry standard tools Facilitate internal brainstorms and client team meetings as needed Requirements: 3 5 years of experience designing custom web and software solutions in a consulting or agency environment Demonstrated expertise in human interface guidelines, industry standards and best practices. Web, interactive TV, mobile or touch screen experience is preferred Relevant experience in the Information, Media and Entertainment industries a plus Ability to work in a highly-collaborative environment while also being able to focus on independent work Excellent problem solving skills Strong presentation and communication skills. Ability to negotiate effectively with a client and represent particular design decisions B.A. in Human Factors, HCI, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, or related field preferred Proficiency in: Adobe CS, Visio, Omnigraffle, HTML, CSS Technical skills should include a thorough understanding of HTML, CSS, XML, AJAX along with the ability to design for presentation platforms such as Flash, Flex and AIR Salary is commensurate with experience and we offer a comprehensive benefit package. To apply for this position please send resume, cover letter and salary requirements to candidate...@industrynext.com, please be sure to put Interaction Designer in the subject line. We thank you for your interest but only short listed candidates will be contacted. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org 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 ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Writing for Information Scent?
Hi Becky, This is where the role of a Content Strategist can be of great value. Content Strategy is what you might call a hybrid of Information architecture. There are many new resources that explain what it is and the methodology behind it, but as a starting point, I welcome you to view my Slideshare presention, Role of A Content Strategist. It will provide you with an overview of the process and examples of deliverables, as well as links to other websites and people who are leaders in the field. One of the main things a CS does is to research and identify the targeted audience, relevant terms, and best way to oversee/govern content.Personally, when working as a CS I meet with stakeholders and content developers to ensure that the site not only meets the needs of users, but also addresses the main goals of the business by providing clear calls to action and interesting and compelling content. Hopefully delving into the world of CS and sharing with your content development team insightful blogs and presentations by people such as Kristina Halvorsen, Jeffrey MacIntyre, and Karen McGrane will help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43708 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] persuasive, authoritative, presentation justifying formal design process?
Good design processes will make his SW engineers more effective, and thus more productive, by targeting their skills on efforts more likely to be successful from the get go. I think there was a piece in UX Matters a while back to that effect, but it was a long read. Might be worth looking for it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43763 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is it time to grit my teeth and bear it?
I'm with Joshua. It's laziness. I would also ask which code decisions you get to make since the developer is making presentation decisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43766 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
Yes, the 25 or so extra characters (background-color:#00ff00;) will add about 0.0003 seconds at 768 kbit/s broadband. OOOoo. - Richard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
(and just to add something constructive) Check this out. Much more interesting color topic than talking about download times. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/06/24/the-blue-and-the-green/ - Richard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43732 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] persuasive, authoritative, presentation justifying formal design process?
I know, this is probably too long, but it might help: http://mags.acm.org/interactions/20080102/ %u201CThe Business of Customer Experience: Lessons Learned at Wells Fargo%u201D (pp 38-43) by Secil Watson. --Mary Sr. Voice User Interface Designer Nuance Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43763 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] persuasive, authoritative, presentation justifying formal design process?
There is a really excellent organization The Corporate Design Foundation, that publishes a beautiful and very digestable magazine called @issue that explains the value of design in a digestible form in business terms. http://www.cdf.org/issue_journal/issue_journal.html You may not find a specific piece on usability, but you will find plenty on how design can transform a business. Mail: Corporate Design Foundation 20 Park Plaza Suite 400 Boston, MA 02116-4303, USA Phone: 617.566.7676 E-mail: ad...@cdf.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43763 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is it time to grit my teeth and bear it?
Alan Wexelblat wrote: (How much longer is difficult to quantify just from the paper prototypes, but my guess is that it's a few seconds more on each operation.) You could do more than guess - use predictive human performance modeling. That is, you could use your paper prototypes to do Keystroke-Level Models to get pretty accurate predictions of performance time on the two different designs. You can use CogTool (free, from CMU (ful disclosure, my group developed this tool)), import your paper prototype images, add a few interactive widgets to simulate the interactivity, demonstrate a few tasks, and hit the compute button. Valid time predictions pop out the other end. Here's the link to CogTool: http://cogtool.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/ Here's a link to a UI designer's blog explaining how CogTool helps in just such situations: http://www.perfecttuna.com/2008/07/predict-expert-task-time-with-cogtool.html Bonnie Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Interaction Design in the Middle East Northern Africa
P.S GITEX held at DICEC http://www.gitex.com is a major trade exhibition in the ME and N Africa and the best place/time to reach out to the widest audience from that region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43748 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] IxD and humanitarian work
Hello all! I'm looking for information regarding the use of interaction design in humanitarian work. I've read about UNICEF running occasional challenges (http://mobileactive.org/usaids-development-2-0-challenge-mobile-innovation-and-winner), but are there any more NPO's that do this kind of thing? Or maybe research/development programs related to this? I'm really interested in becoming an interaction designer, but I really want to give my life to something positive other than just achieving personal goals and success. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Colors and Usability
Hi All To add on to Hari's question. I recently heard in a conference the presenter pointing out that, google tested different shades of blue for better download speed. Does this make sense. Regards Sanu George Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
