Here is a recording from a live usability seminar I gave a few weeks ago on the topic of emotion design and pleasurability. (Sign up at the bottom of that page to our usability research newsletter to be alerted to upcoming free usability seminars like this)...
I gave a two day workshop on User Experience best practices in Web 2.0 at Gallup (yes, the polling organization) in Omaha last week.
Here's a slide from the seminar I thought you might find interesting capturing Usability 2.0 (whatever that is). It is a take on the infamous O'Reilly diagram capturing Web 2.0 concepts. My favorite is"iphone like magic" because I have had clients asking for web applications with that description.
BTW, my definition of Web 2.0 for the Gallup seminar audience was:
A new study (July 2008) entitled 'Factors that Improve online experience' by Sathish Menon and Michael Douma from the Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement offers key insights on the current state of online user experience.
The study reinforces known usability truths, sheds light on user perceptions but more interestingly points to disconnects
between designers and users. The study surveyed
perceptions, expectations and practices across various audiences and
contrasted the results.
The graphical or visual aspects of an interface are the most easily recognizable. They require no methodology (Graphic design vs usability) or design distinctions, (What is design?).
Everyone from CEO to programmer can understand an interface by it's visual treatment. For some the interface is "eye-candy" and for others representative of organized emotional response and visual perception.
Oftentimes, the confusion over who dictates the design can lead to confusion and often a gratuitous use of graphics. This problem can be compounded by an interface being dictated entirely by a designer (where usability resources are absent, underfunded or ignored entirely from a development process).
Summary: Sustainable design
The world is in dire need of innovations that address real economic, social and environmental crises. Consider the implications of the 'design problem':
What is a forcing function?
A forcing function is a constraint where the user "is forced" to complete a task based on a limited, paired down set of features or controls.
Forcing functions help streamline, simplify or minimize how a user interacts with a design. Designers benefit from this interaction design technique by reducing navigation redundancy, task effort and the complexity caused by "feature frenzy" (see my previous article on feature creep).
There is a huge problem in the software and web services industry: 3rd
party applications, widgets, dashboards or site add-ons can kill your usability efforts.
Poor user experiences with 3rd-party applications can undermine or make your usability efforts look bad.
Vendors such as PeopleSoft, Vignette and many others are notorious
for providing "clunk-ware", "vapor-ware" or "sneaker-ware" as one of
our clients at Experience Dynamics put it.
Related Seminar Video: Watch Now
This Ajax Usability Checklist is a bonus guide that accompanies my AJAX Usability Seminar, I am offering it in the form of this post as a bonus for readers- thanks for your support!
The Web is changing fast. New standards are emerging, new approaches to coding such as Scriptaculous, AJAX, Ruby, Flash/Flex, Silverlight and others are creating a leap-frog situation where many new websites, web apps and portals are implementing next year's User Interface elements.
Yet, when it comes to implementing the new interface techniques AJAX offers, we need to be mindful of how AJAX can improve the specifics of the user experience.
Two simple guidelines for AJAX Usability:
When the term design is used it can mean many things, depending on who you are and which conversation you are having. Rarely do people stop to compare 'mental maps' and clarify which type of design they are talking about!
I believe this has to do with the multiple definitions of design and the lack of awareness of each specific type of design, its function and timing in a process. The other factor being how familiar you are with "design" based on your past experiences with different design roles.
Here are some examples of conversations I have and hear frequently that cause to stop and ask "What type of design are we talking here?":
It's great to see excitement building for the Apple iPhone (launch expected late June '07). Korea's LG Prada, an iPhone competitor product, launched a few months ago in the UK.
Just this week a new touch screen device- Taiwan's HTC Touch was announced for release immediately in the UK and later this year in the US.
The hot attraction of course with the iPhone, the Prada and the Touch is that they offer touch and gesture-only user interaction. Clarification: Only the Apple iPhone offers gesture-like pinching interaction (eg. open-close; zoom in-out).
