I Want Usability

How To Torture a User Experience Designer

iwantusability — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:03:39 +0000

How To Torture a User Experience Designer.

Article: Fire Your Marketing Manager & Hire A Community Manager.

iwantusability — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:35:44 +0000

“Okay, maybe that’s going too far. I don’t really recommend firing your marketing manager. I do however believe that most companies will eventually need to hire or contract with a community manager, if they haven’t already. A recent BusinessWeek article called “Twitter Twitter Little Star <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_30/b4188064364442.htm> ,” describes social media as a booming industry which has caught the attention of corporations”

Continues:
http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2010/08/cm.html

Rgds
M

UI Development Discussion follow up: Invaluable Tools for UI development and QA

iwantusability — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:26:13 +0000

Hi,

After the review and quick workshop/discussion on authoring Web Standards compliant, Semantic, SEO friendly, Accessible user interface pages I thought I’d follow up with the links to a number of the essential, free & easily downloadable tools I recommended that are in standard use now for any UI dev, broken out into Win and Mac supported version of the same or similar tools.

To re-iterate: I do not believe it is practically possible or realistic to work on modern User Interface design and development and meet Accessibility and SEO requirements at a professional level without these tools – many of which you will know, some you may not have seen yet:

Available on both current dev platforms at CL:

Mozilla Firefox Addons/Extensions and toolbars available from the built-in Firefox Tools > Addons

> Chris Penck’s Web Developer Toolbar – including *local* web page W3C validators
> Firebug
> Webaim’s WAVE Accessibility toolbar for : http://wave.webaim.org/toolbar
> YSlow – performance assessment of rendered pages
> Fangs – screen reader visualisation

Also useful addons:

> Live HTTP headers
> Selenium – a range of plugins are available

Standalone colour contrast assessment: the Colour Contrast Analyser 2.0 (CCA):

http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/contrast-analyser.html

Windows only

For Internet Explorer

> IE’s Built in ‘Developer’ features

> The WAI Toolbar 2.0: Accessibility, Colour contrast (includes the CCA) and colour blindness assessment:

http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html

Mozilla Firefox Addons/Extensions and toolbars available from the built-in Firefox Tools > Addons >

> HTMl Validator – Uses the W3C ‘ratified’ validator HTML Tidy for visible, auto W3C validation

JAWs Screen Reader – like the ‘IE’ of the Screen Reader world!:

32-bit:
ftp://ftp.freedomscientific.com/users/hj/private/WebFiles/JAWS/J11.0.1467-32bit.exe

64-bit:
ftp://ftp.freedomscientific.com/users/hj/private/WebFiles/JAWS/J11.0.1467-64bit.exe

Mac only/best for mac

Colour contrast and colour blindness assessment:

> Sim Daltonism

http://michelf.com/projects/sim-daltonism/

Mozilla Firefox Addons/Extensions and toolbars available from the built-in Firefox Tools > Addons >

> Total Validator – Visible, auto W3C validation

Give the ‘Latitude UX/UI Team’ a shout if you want any advice on finding, installing, or using any of these tools –

Good luck!

Rgds
M

Colours across cultures

iwantusability — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:05:07 +0000

Hi!

We’ve been spending a little time on this project checking the cross-language and cross-cultural applications of our designs so thought I’d pass on learnings.

Colours are a well known example of this but thought I’d share our research – it turns out there is much to be checked!!

See attached articles:

Paper – introduction to screen colours – and applied to Game Design.pdf:

This includes an introduction which many of us will have studied at art school but goes on to suggest more subtle uses.

“We are part of a culture which has been decanting meanings for ages, including those of colours. These coded meanings are shared connotations of feelings, sensations, atmosphere, thoughts, and moods. Repeatedly, this symbolism is used without realizing how colours communicate. So, if colours can express, gamers would get messages which contain reactions and sensations. Diverse elements of digital games will be taken into account: characters, landscapes, clothes, objects, interfaces. A better understanding of the uses of colours would improve game experience.”

Guide – TranslatingColours.pdf:

This again includes a very detailed introduction to colour which many of us will have perhaps studied at degree level but goes to list in detail what each colour represents to tens of countries – not just what colours not to use!

Extremely useful reference!

“In an increasingly competitive and saturated market, communication needs to be carefully targeted. Few companies have a brand that is powerful enough to generate a quasi uniform perception world-wide. For most companies it is important to understand what the impact of communication and colour use will be on the targeted group. Therefore it is not only important to understand its meanings but also to find easily applicable rules for translating them.
This short research analyses the impact of colour on consumers belonging to different cultures, and how each of them perceives them. In the Internet age these differences are particularly relevant to online advertisers since colour is the first thing that you notice on a web site or banner, even before you can understand which language is being used or what the message says. But how to use colours cleverly and what is colour?”

And and to finish: an awesome poster that sums it all up:

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/ – we liked this so much we’re buying one!
(thanks, James!)

Rgds
M

Guide – TranslatingColours.pdf

Paper – introduciton to screen colours – and applied to Game Design.pdf

Your App's Website Sucks

iwantusability — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:34:24 +0000

A plain-English advice about how to build an App site that sells, but most of what is says is applicable to landing pages and sales funnels too.

“If you have an app available, you probably have an accompanying website for it. As someone who tries and buys a lot of software, I see many such websites during the average week. Some are great, but most make the same few mistakes again and again. I want to share some tips for making software product websites that don’t turn customers away…”

Continues:
http://mattgemmell.com/2010/06/20/your-apps-website-sucks

Rgds
M

(thanks, James!)

Presentation from the UPA International Conference: Usability Testing in China

iwantusability — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:41:46 +0000

“In this presentation, we’ve shared our experience and views from different angles on running user testings in China. It includes tips and tricks on what you should be…”

Continues..:
http://www.cxpartners.co.uk/cxinsights/usability_testing_in_china.htm?utm_source=cxpartners’+email+update&utm_campaign=817f6556a0-cxpartnersJuly_2010&utm_medium=email

Rgds
M

(PS thanks Giles!)

Eureka!: A Screen Reader Demonstration

iwantusability — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:16:42 +0000

Hi,

I’ve had loads and loads of questions about what The Secret is to supporting and testing for Accessibility, or more exactly supporting Assistive Technologies (AT) like screen readers, Braille keyboards and sip and puff mice and so on. Apart from the unsung heroes of supporting Web Standards, Semantic Mark-up and Graceful Degradation/Progressive Enhancement I can also recommend this to help your understanding and working practice:

Screenreaders: The Accessibility Eureka Moment

Although there are many ways for an visually, motor or neurologically impaired person to view a website, screen reader5s are a classic example.

One of the fastest and most revealing ways of understanding and ‘getting’ the aims of screen reader support is by simply seeing some using a screen reader! It’s amazing what an understanding this can bring about and this is what I’ve started calling over the years called the accessibility ‘Eureka Moment’ – characterised by people saying things like ‘Oh, I seeeee…!’

A Great Example

One of YUI Theater’s most famous accessibility videos is a 27 minute Introduction to Screen Readers by Victor Tsaran, an engineer at Yahoo! and the Program Manager for Accessibility in 2008/9 – and a great guy to boot.

He begins by showing us the core functionality of screen readers and how they interact with the desktop. In the second part he demonstrates how he uses them to explore and understand web sites, how sites are “linearised”, and how using semantic mark-up to build sites supports accessible navigation and usability.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to play with a screen reader first hand, this video is must-watch stuff.

And for everybody, don’t miss the closing minutes of the video when Victor resets the screen reader’s voice setting from the super-slow (necessary for us mere mortals to understand) back up to the impossibly-fast (that he uses everyday)!

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/514676/2686894

Hope you find this interesting!

Rgds
Mike

Article: Where business analysis and user experience intersect: the benefits of collaboration

iwantusability — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:37:35 +0000

“According to Harvard Business Review editor Julia Kirby <http://blogs.hbr.org/ideacast/2010/01/the-most-influential-managemen.html> , 2010 may be the year for a resurgence in companies reconnecting with their users and focusing on user experience, but don’t forget about business analysis! It’s the BA’s job to ensure that the issues and business objectives are understood. When the solution involves end users (of a new or enhanced application/website/product), that’s where we need team up with a user experience (UX) professional.
A Powerful Team
The BA must understand the core business needs and express them in clear, concise language (most commonly as formal business requirements). The UX professional must understand the business problem, as well as how customers see it, and then they can begin the real work of making complex products usable and aesthetically pleasing (even fun!), with interfaces that can be used globally and that are accessible by diverse audiences.
But often, BA and UX powers aren’t…”

Continues:
http://userexperience.evantageconsulting.com/2010/07/where-business-analysis-and-user-experience-intersect-the-benefits-of-collaboration/

Article: Does Your Website Really Need a Mobile App?

iwantusability — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:56:21 +0000

“Word on the street is that if you have a great site you should create a mobile app. I’ve been hearing it a lot from clients lately that everybody is on their phone and “if users could access our information then our product will be more valuable.” Is this just a fad or is it valid? Well, that depends on your customers and your business goals.
First and most importantly, do your customers access the internet with their mobile phones? If the majority of your customers only make calls on their phone, then designing for mobile is really not appropriate.
Second, can tasks be easily accomplished on a mobile phone? Is it possible to create an abbreviated experience of your current site that is focused on a handful of tasks? If users have to fill out long forms or complete complex processes they are not going to be doing it on a mobile phone. Jakob Nielson points out in his post on Mobile Usability <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mobile-usability.html> that poorly designed mobile sites will create a miserable experience for users. Putting your website as is on a mobile phone will likely not work.
Third, how’s your current site doing? If there are major issues on your website or the back-end is not as efficient as it could be, it makes more sense to focus the dollars on improving your site and saving mobile for later.
I am not encouraging caution over innovation. For me, innovation is about revolutionizing the experience of the user. The user is still the center of this equation. If your users do not access the internet on their phone, creating a mobile app is not revolutionary; it’s a waste of time and money.
If you’re not sure what your customer base is currently doing regarding mobile usage, start with the analytics for…”

Continues: http://userexperience.evantageconsulting.com/2010/01/does-your-website-really-need-a-mobile-app/

Rgds

Article: The 100 best login forms

iwantusability — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:26:07 +0000

100 Outstanding Login Forms

“This post is to be of inspiration and a guide to overall good interface design, we will ultimately focus on one important aspect of graphic user interface design that helps users interact with your site and enter areas that require login credentials.

As you’re in the process of designing a login form/area you might yourself face to face with a few vital questions: i.e. Will I display the name of the form as login, log in or sign in? How will I design the graphical aesthetics of the login (or log in/sign in) area? Where should the forgotten password link be displayed? What if I were to include a cancellation button? Should I use graphics and transparent properties that will match the overall design of my site? And so on..
”

Continues: http://designreviver.com/inspiration/100-sites-with-outstanding-login-forms/