Re: [IxDA Discuss] Resource estimate for a design
Joel Spolsky gave a great description of how to use this idea systematically, calling it Evidence Based Scheduling: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/10/26.html No reason it wouldn't work as well for design as for development, though you might need to adjust the method to account for different degrees of mis-estimation on different types of design tasks. This does require keeping very good records of estimated and actual times for each task, so there's a significant startup cost to the method. Better schedules are probably worth the inconvenience. Jennifer Berk On Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 9:47 AM, Marielle Winarto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Try to find your correction factor. Review some projects you did in the past. Would you have been able to complete them in time if you had had twice the time you estimated? Or 1.5x, or 3x? Or even higher? Next time, estimate your resources in the usual way (breaking down into chunks, etc), then apply your correction factor. I once read some numbers in a book on extreme programming: typical correction factors for programmers without practice in estimating their resources range from 2 to 5. If you keep track of the real time you spend, it quickly gets more accurate. 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] Badges? We don't need no steenkin' badges.
Since Spencer's example was about whaling, here's a page I've been working on recently that addresses the same question: http://www.stopwhaling.org/site/c.foJNIZOyEnH/b.2663467/k.1020/Help_Promote_StopWhalingorg_Online__IFAW_US.htm The headline is Help Promote StopWhaling.org Online, with instructions below about how to use the banners on your own site. The subhead below the banners is Save the Whales with Web 2.0, which may actually be a better illustration of talking about what they will accomplish. A couple other interesting examples: http://oyceter.livejournal.com/460808.html http://www.blogher.com/blogher-08-buttons-im-going-im-speaking-im Jennifer Berk Amplify Public Affairs On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 4:49 PM, Spencer Nowak [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Instead, since the site is already issue-centric, tell the potential badge-grabber what they will accomplish by getting the badge. Users don't go to a Save the Whales website looking for a badge for their site, they go because they want to help save the whales. Something like Have a website? Help us raise whale awareness! will attract people who aren't familiar with the idea of badges and make it clear that by getting the badge they will be doing something for the cause they support. 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] give content to get community
Try http://www.critters.org/ - massive online writing critique group. Many critique groups come and go, usually failing because of poor organization and member apathy / lack of participation. Critters has successfully solved the first problem by lots of automation :-) and the second by requiring members to submit critiques. Members are asked for roughly one critique a week, with some provision for vacations and such. Jennifer Berk On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 12:14 PM, Jeff Gimzek [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: hey ixdas, I am looking for sites that /require/ user participation in order to have /access/ to the site and it's community and it's content. A lot of site require registration, or a fee, but can you think of any that require your donation of time, effort and/or creativity to be part of the community? Linked In sort of does this - your resume, you connections, your recommendations and your 'questions' are all content you contribute to be a useful part of the community and get value back from the site... jd -- Jeff Gimzek | Senior User Experience Designer [EMAIL PROTECTED] | www.glassdoor.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help 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] Thoughts on Interaction Design - free digital version available
Normally I'd complain that donating to the authors didn't help the rest of the publishing system (publisher, editor, copywriter, etc.), but in this case the book is published by an author's own small press, so that'll work. Jennifer Berk On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 12:22 PM, Lisa deBettencourt [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Why not save a tree and donate to the authors instead? ~Lisa On Sun, Mar 16, 2008 at 6:18 PM, William Evans [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Just to let you know that if you read and enjoy the free version - you have a moral obligation to get the tree version. will evans user experience architect [EMAIL PROTECTED] 617.281.1281 On Mar 16, 2008, at 5:00 PM, Jon [GMAIL] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, Just a quick note to let ya'all know that Thoughts on Interaction Design is now available for free in digital format; you can grab it at http://www.thoughtsoninteraction.com/contents.php Thanks, - Jon Kolko Author, Thoughts on Interaction Design http://www.thoughtsOnInteraction.com/ Co-Editor-In-Chief, interactions http://interactions.acm.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] web-Second Life registration process
A few more uses of Second Life's custom registration portal API: http://secondlife.reuters.com/stories/2007/05/04/new-orientation-islands-take-off/ http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1675445,00.html http://freshtakes.typepad.com/sl_communicators/2007/06/slbc_meeting_tr.html http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=30 http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/press-release-nmc-virtual-worlds-2008-plans.pdf More information about the API is at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/RegAPI . Looks like they're limiting new signups, but I have no idea how strictly. My company does Second Life work, so I might get to find out sometime soon Jennifer Berk Amplify Public Affairs On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 4:30 PM, Patrick Grizzard [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm working on a project for a client that has a presence in Second Life, but wants their customers to register through their own site first. This is partly so they can customize the user's SL experience, and partly because some of the target audiences may not be familiar with SL. Putting aside the rather large question of whether SL is in fact the appropriate platform for what they're trying to accomplish (which has been raised repeatedly), I'm wondering if anyone can share examples of similar web/SL hybrid experiences. The one I have found thus far that mirrors the approach my client wishes to take is the CSI:NY Virtual Experience: http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/csi_ny/second_life/ http://csi-ny.reg.electricsheepcompany.com/join-secondlife/csi-ny/avatar The CSI web site has a registration wizard that allows you select a custom avatar, name, etc. Then, when you download and run the SL app, it drops you into a special CSI:NY orientation island that explains the rules of the CSI game. Is anyone aware of any similar registration processes - where the registration takes place partly or entirely outside of SL? Thanks, Patrick 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] Most usable doesn't always mean best solution
I have to agree with this, and also mention that poorly chosen challenge questions may be viewed as security problems. I came across a (not needing serious security, i.e. not financial or similar) site recently where one of the questions was mother's maiden name. Since that's commonly used for verification by financial companies, there was no way I was giving it to a system that would probably store it in plaintext (easier to check against) and that anyway didn't store particularly important information. In that case I had five questions to choose from, and one of the others was favorite band, which falls under the ice cream problem. More choices would have made me *much* less irritated by the site. Now I wish I could remember what it was to warn others off Jennifer Berk On Mon, 3 Mar 2008 16:48:13, Rob Tannen [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Todd - Depending on the specifics of the question choices, it's not clear whether more questions is not in fact more efficient. One of the issues with challenge questions is that users may not have appropriate or memorable choices to select from. For example, your high school didn't have a mascot or your dad doesn't have a middle name. This is especially noticeable with an international user base who have less in common culturally to draw from. Therefore, more question choices increases the likelihood that there there are questions which users can readily come up with an answer for, rather than a limited choice where users struggle to find appropriate questions. In other words, more questions is more efficient from a mental task completion view, versus a speed of reading perspective. 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] interaction design groups for women?
One more potentially useful survey: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/2007surveyresults Pulling all the people who say they're competent at interface design (a separate item from graphic design) might be a reasonable proxy for interaction designers. Jennifer Berk On Jan 30, 2008 2:55 PM, Dmitry Nekrasovski [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The most recent IA Institute salary survey, which was publicized on this list, is probably the closest thing: http://iainstitute.org/en/learn/research/salary_survey_2007.php According to the survey summary, The gender split is almost equal, with 49% female to 51% male. Also, female IAs on average make more than males (US$87,500 versus US$85,300). So perhaps professional sub-groups for both genders are equally needed. :) Dmitry *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] 'Select Country' dropdown
On Dec 17, 2007 12:15 PM, Bryan Minihan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I can't tell you how many times I've had to build a country drop-down, and I've come to prefer most likely selection first, with alphabetical following. For a truly global company/site where people are likely to be from everywhere (and/or you don't want to show bias toward a particular country), I'd probably go with pure alphabetical. An interesting discussion of this issue is at http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200608/selecting_country_names_in_forms/ . Discussed in the comments is another strategy for country dropdowns: if you're willing to put in some programming time and possibly buy a dataset, you can use the most likely method based not on the aggregate audience but on an individual IP address / country lookup. If my browser says I'm in the US, I see that at the top of the list; if it says I'm in Japan, I see that instead. Or (again from the 456bereastreet conversation) let the user type their country into a field, with type-ahead and error checking as desired: http://www.brucelawson.co.uk/index.php/2006/forms-inputting-country-names/ . Jennifer Berk *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Verifying a user is human
Chris, I'd suggest you create your own test instead of using a standard CAPTCHA. The simplest way to resist spambots is to give them a question they haven't seen on several thousand other sites - and you can easily make it accessible for humans if you don't have to worry about fooling the machines. Take a look at http://almaer.com/blog/logic-based-captcha-to-beat-the-blog-spam-bots for a discussion of some possible questions at the end of the post. Jennifer Berk On 11/29/07, Chris Maissan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am in the process of designing a support forum for a software product. The goal is to make it as easy as possible to ask a question. Ideally I'd like to do away with the need to login all together, but it also needs to be Spam resistant. ... Does anyone have any thoughts on the best method to confirm a user is human? Maybe a third option I haven't thought of? *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Tips on breaking into IA/ID/UxD industry for recent graduates?
On 10/30/07, Jason Barbarich [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: members have mentioned that they are taxed with the job of reading resumes and interviewing applicants - is there anything in particular you look for when you see a potential junior IA/ID/UxD? Should we all have some sort of crucial skill on lock? Is there something that NEEDS to be in our sparsely populated portfolio? Or is it really just about being you, having a handle on the standard toolset, and knowing the design process? I can talk for a pretty long time about the one, EXTREMELY simple website I freelanced over the summer. Obtaining requirements from interviewing the owner, getting a feel for who the primary users of the site were, wireframing to establish design concept, etc., but again, the site is epicly simple, and I'm still left with no agency experience. You might find useful a session on IA resumes (and portfolios) that was run by the DC area UX community. Summary at http://olgahow.com/?p=98 , audio and more useful links at http://livlab.com/thinkia/2007/04/audio-from-ia-roundup/ . Looking quickly at your portfolio, the language used is very informal and there isn't much discussion of the thought process that led to the diagram. Showing the value you brought to each portfolio project would let your interviewer more easily imagine what value you'd bring to theirs. Jennifer Berk *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://gamma.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://gamma.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://gamma.ixda.org/help
