The Corporate Pursuit of Happiness [Fast Company - Feb 28, 2011] – Offering a happiness class to future masters of the universe at one of the country’s leading business schools does sound a bit touchy-feely. Yet, last fall, 80 of these type-A students signed up for Aaker’s graduate-level course called “Designing Happiness” — with another 100 clamoring to get in. But Aaker’s work is gaining attention not just in academia but also in corporate America: She has worked with AOL, Adobe, and Facebook, among other companies, helping them figure out how to use happiness to increase employees’ productivity and woo customers. If her hypotheses are correct, marketing happiness could be one of the few ways businesses can still appeal to people in a manner that feels authentic.
Study Finds the Internet Makes Youth More Engaged Citizens [ReadWriteWeb - Feb 24, 2011] – Arguably, the upheaval, activism, and revolutions in of the last two months may serve to counter what has been a longstanding stereotype: youth are largely apolitical. Moreover, those that do participate in politics and activism online do so in shallow ways, the so-called “slacktivism.” But recent findings from a longitudinal study of high school age students challenge these notions, suggesting that youth who pursue their Interests online are more likely to be engaged in civic issues.
Measuring the User Experience on a Large Scale: User-Centered Metrics for Web Applications [Proceedings of CHI 2010] – More and more products and services are being deployed on the web, and this presents new challenges and opportunities for measurement of user experience on a large scale. There is a strong need for user-centered metrics for web applications, which can be used to measure progress towards key goals, and drive product decisions. In this note, we describe the HEART framework for user-centered metrics, as well as a process for mapping product goals to metrics. We include practical examples of how HEART metrics have helped product teams make decisions that are both data-driven and user-centered. The framework and process have generalized to enough of our company’s own products that we are confident that teams in other organizations will be able to reuse or adapt them. We also hope to encourage more research into metrics based on large-scale behavioral data.
A huge list of Style Guides and UI Guidelines [The UX Bookmark] – If you are a graphic designer or an interaction designer and have ever been tasked with creating a style guide or UI guidelines document (both are different and I’ve had the pleasure to work on both of them creating templates and the actual documents for brands and products), this list should help you out as a consolidated list of references. This list is going to be constantly updated (and will ultimately be a monster list, it’s quite modest for now) of publicly accessible style guides and UI guideline documents on the web.
Why Don’t Usability Problems Get Fixed? [UX Matters - Feb 07, 2011] – Why don’t usability problems get fixed? If we point out obvious usability problems and provide reasonable solutions for them, why doesn’t someone fix them? In this column, I’ll explore these questions and provide some tips to help ensure your recommendations get implemented.
User Experience White Paper [All About UX - Feb 04, 2011] – User Experience White Paper is a result from a Dagstuhl seminar on Demarcating User Experience, where 30 experts from academia and industry worked together to bring some clarity to the concept of user experience. We see the white paper as an important step towards a common understanding on user experience.
NoteSlate – NoteSlate is low cost tablet device with true one colour display, real paper look design, long life battery (180h !), together with very handy usage and very simple and helpful interface for pen and paper. This easy, compact and portable gadget is used anywhere you want to make any notes, drafts, sketches, any ideas for future reference. Paper for everyone! Write a note and check it later, save it, or delete it. Maybe send it after. Just one colour is enough to express the basics. Keep your life simple.
UX Ideas in the Cards [UX Magazine - Feb 03, 2011] – Like many practitioners, my day-to-day to work involves facing situations in which I am unsure of what to do next. Clients and teams look to me for solutions, ideas, and methods that can help create great ideas and experiences. Every now and then I, like anyone else, struggle to remain fresh and creative. When I catch myself falling into a rut or back to approaches that I’m comfortable with, I try to challenge myself to do something different. As a good friend of mine says, “If you’re stuck, try to figure out how to get unstuck.” Often I return to my library of UX books and tools, but in particular, I like to return to my collection of UX card sets.
The Art and Science of ‘Stratecution’ [TalentZoo - Feb 01, 2011] – The truth is that strategy and execution need to go hand-in-hand. You need the insight-driven, business-focused, brand-inspired thinking of top-down strategy. You also must work bottom-up, recognizing the everyday realities and real-world complexities you’ll face, while also being nimble, improvisatory, and open to evolution along the way. It’s equal parts strategy and execution, or what I call “stratecution.”;
What You Really Get From a Heuristic Evaluation [UX Magazine - Feb 19, 2010] – When applying what I call “checklist usability” in a heuristic evaluation to learn what the flaws and frustrations of a design might be, the outcome is a determination of whether the UI complies with the heuristics. It is an inspection, not an evaluation. It is not about the user experience. It’s not even about task performance, which is what the underlying question was in the team’s conflict: Will users do better with this flow versus that flow? If we interrupt them, will they still complete a purchase? Any inspection method that claims to answer those kinds of questions is just guessing.
The Rise Of The Chief Customer Officer [Forrester Blogs - Jan 24, 2011] – Over the past five years, Forrester has observed an increase in the number of companies that have a single executive leading customer experience efforts across a business unit or an entire company. Whether firms call these individuals a chief customer officer (CCO) or give them some other label, these leaders sit at high levels of power at companies as diverse as Allstate, Dunkin’ Brands, Oracle, and USAA.
The Psychologist’s View of UX Design [UX Magazine - May 19, 2010] – I’m a psychologist by training and education. So the part of the elephant I experience applies what we know about people and how we apply that to UX design. I take research and knowledge about the brain, the visual system, memory, and motivation and extrapolate UX design principles from that.
Well-designed error messages [Formulate Information Design - Jan 11, 2011] – 1) tell the form-filler that an error has occurred, 2) be clear about exactly what and where that error is, and 3) provide the form-filler with the information and tools they need to be able to correct the error, or otherwise get out of the situation.
Introducing Wirify: The web as wireframes [Volkside - Dec 20, 2010] – Wirify is a bookmarklet that lets you turn any web page into a wireframe in one click. It’s lightweight and works in many modern browsers. To use Wirify drag the link below to your Bookmarks toolbar.
Using Customer Journey Maps to Improve Customer Experience [Harvard Business Review - Nov 15, 2010] – A customer journey map is a very simple idea: a diagram that illustrates the steps your customer(s) go through in engaging with your company, whether it be a product, an online experience, retail experience, or a service, or any combination. The more touchpoints you have, the more complicated – but necessary – such a map becomes.
Understanding Customer Experience [Harvard Business Review - Oct 28, 2010] – “Customer experience” has become a very commonly used phrase in recent years, but like “innovation” and “design” it is actually difficult to find a clear, commonly-held definition, even though many businesses see improving their customer experience as a competitive differentiator. How we can really improve something if we can’t even define it? This is the first in a series of posts looking at customer experience – what it encompasses, how to structure it, how to approach and improve it.
The 21st Century Classroom, from a UX Perspective [Adaptive Path - Nov 02, 2010] – Last week Adaptive Path submitted 2 concepts to Slate’s Classroom Redesign challenge. With the only constraint being that our concepts needed to apply to 5th grade, Adaptive Path jumped at the chance to throw some wacky UX design ideas into the mix.
How Google tested Google Instant [CNET News - Oct 18, 2010] – This mission took on great importance as Google prepared to make perhaps the biggest change to its search experience it had ever contemplated: Google Instant. Google surveyed 160 people–divided equally between Googlers and the general public–as it developed “Google Psychic,” the internal code name for what would become Google Instant.
Usability Resources to Win Arguments [Webdesigner Depot - Oct 13, 2010] – So, what we’ve done for you today is compiled a list of some of the biggest, most compelling usability articles which address common issues. Hopefully this should help you during tough conversations about what does and doesn’t work on a a website.
Data Informed, Not Data Driven: The Subtext [Adaptive Path - Oct 05, 2010] – I want to introduce you to a UX Week talk called “Data Informed, Not Data Driven” by Adam Mosseri, Product Design Manager at Facebook. While his talk focused on the role of data in design and decision making, I was more intrigued by the sub-text of the story, which I’ve synthesized as: Innovation comes from creative cultures that value collaboration, informed risk-taking, transparency, and trust in one another to make decisions.
Testing Accordion Forms [A List Apart - Sep 21, 2010] – I often get asked how long web forms should be because web designers and developers want to know: 1) Do one-page forms convert better than multiple page forms? 2) Will breaking up a long form across several pages simplify the process of completing a form? 3) What about rich interactions that manage multiple sections of a form on a single page?
Accessibility and the Law: How good UX can keep you out of court [UX Magazine - Sep 07, 2010] – Website accessibility is obviously an integral part of user experience; a negative user experience is certain to occur when a consumer cannot access a commercial website, which, in turn, almost always carries negative business consequences. To make matters worse, an inaccessible website may also expose the site owner and/or designer to legal liability.
Usability Study Shows Kids Don’t Search [GigaOm - Sep 13, 2010] – While adult Internet users are increasingly “search dominant,” kids navigate the web using bookmarks, remembering their favorite sites, and accessing paid subscription content and games.
Making the URL Bar Useful Again: Where the breadcrumb should have been all along [UX Magazine - Sep 09, 2010] – I propose that the URL bar be modified to fulfill a significant purpose for the user other than just displaying long strings of characters mostly irrelevant to, and mostly ignored by, the user. A user should be aware of his location on the Internet at all times, and of any relevant information that he has requested or transmitted in getting there. The way the URL bar presents that information is completely inadequate.
A product development tip – from a measuring cup [Good Experience - Aug 17, 2010] – But here’s the thing about the research: customers never said they wanted an angled measuring cup. In fact, users weren’t even aware that there was a problem to be solved. Consumers didn’t say, “I wish I could read the markings more easily.” They muddled through without complaint. And yet the innovation came directly from observing customers. How? Simply by observing the customer experience.
Design with Intent toolkit 1.0 now online [Design with Intent - Apr 10, 2010] – Officially titled Design with Intent: 101 Patterns for Influencing Behaviour Through Design, it’s in the form of 101 simple cards, each illustrating a particular “gambit” for influencing people’s interactions with products, services, environments, and each other, via the design of systems. They’re loosely grouped according to eight “lenses” bringing different disciplinary perspectives on behaviour change.
Five UX Research Pitfalls [UX Magazine - Sep 02, 2010] – In the last few years, more and more organizations have come to view UX design as a key contributor to successful products, connecting teams with end-users and guiding product innovation within the organization. Though it’s fantastic to see this transition happen, there are growing pains associated with becoming a user-driven organization. These are the pitfalls that I see organizations grappling with most often.
Recording emotions with the Emotiv headset [Make - Aug 30, 2010] – In this video, Robert Oschler, of Robots Rule, uses his Emorate software to demonstrate the power of “affective computing,” using computers to detect and react to human emotions. Here he uses various emotional responses to index, bookmark, and navigate a video using the Emotiv headset and Emorate.
10 great alternatives to Google Wave [Betanews - Aug 06, 2010] – Real-time collaboration app Google Wave was officially added to the dead pool this week. Despite plenty of hype and excitement, it failed to attract the adoption that Google hoped for. The site itself is expected to stay up through the end of the year, but users are likely to already be wondering about where to turn next in Web-based collaborative software. Here’s our list of a few of the most promising candidates for replacing Wave in your workflow…
The Five Most Influential Papers in Usability [Measuring Usability Blog - Jul 07, 2010] – I compiled a list of papers that have had a large and lasting influence on the field of Usability and User Experience. I then asked Jim Lewis and Joe Dumas, two pioneers in this field for their top five. There was considerable overlap in both the papers and topics suggesting that while there may be some disagreement with the conclusions of the papers there is strong agreement on their impact.
CogTool [Carnegie Mellon University HCI] – CogTool is a general purpose UI prototyping tool with a difference – it automatically evaluates your design with a predictive human performance model.
PrEmo – Measuring Emotional Response – by SusaGroup – Emotional responses elicited are difficult to measure because their nature is subtle (low intensity) and often mixed (more than one emotional response at the same time). However, scientific research at the Technical University of Delft by Dr. Pieter Desmet has resulted in an instrument, PrEmo, to measure emotions. Since then, PrEmo has been further developed by SusaGroup and TUDelft, resulting in a new and improved interface and character.
What five users can tell you that 5000 cannot [Measuring Usability - Jun 16, 2010] – With usability testing it used to be that we had to make our best guess as how users actually interacted with software outside a contrived lab-setting. We didn’t have all the information we needed…Web-analytics provides us with a wealth of data about actual usage we just never had before…Where we once didn’t have enough information, now we have a new problem–too much information. Web analytics is transforming user behavior from a puzzle to a mystery. Mysteries require judgment and the assessment of uncertainty. To solve the mysteries of why users are doing what they’re doing, we still need to observe users and ask them about their intentions and expectations. This can help solve the mystery of why. A small lab based study of a small number of users can tells us things analytic data from 5000 cannot. Web analytics is transforming user behavior from a puzzle to a mystery.
What Is User Experience Design? [Montparnas User Experience Design Blog - Oct 10, 2006] – User experience design can sometimes be a slippery term. With all the other often used terms that float around in its realm in the technology and web space: interaction design, information architecture, human computer interaction, human factors engineering, usability, and user interface design. People often end up asking, “what is the difference between all these fields and which one do I need?” This article examines the term and field of user experience to plainly extrapolate its meaning and connect the dots with these other fields.
Start Drawing Your Ideas [Lifehacker - May 18, 1010] – Start drawing your ideas. Start getting it out of your head, and seeing it from a completely different perspective, and more importantly, sharing it with others.
I didn’t want to to wait too long before I got some of my initial thoughts written down about this year’s IA Summit. I could recap all of the sessions I attended, and I still may, but there are others that will likely do it better than me. I swear that in another life, Luke Wroblewski was a court reporter for how quickly he posts his recaps of events. And then, of course, there’s the tireless Jeff Parks, who is the podcast guru and already has two of the keynotes up on Boxes and Arrows. Thank you to you both.
So instead of recapping events right away, I want to share something that I’ve been thinking about for some time. But first, a quick reflection on the 2010 IA Summit…
Why 2010 Was My Favorite IA Summit to Date
Quite simply, the 2010 IA Summit was my favorite because of the breadth of content, the variety of people attending, and the positive vibe of the conference (admittedly, I purposefully steered away from certain venues). I loved the many conversations I had and the privilege I had to meet both old and new acquaintances. There were no hangups about job titles or job roles. There was no need to “define the damn thing” (at least in the sessions I attended). The sessions were diverse and attracted professionals who possessed varying levels of expertise in all kinds of UX skills. Although she closed the Summit, Whitney Hess injected a level of positivity (as she did last year) that was infectious. I know some have offered criticism about the administration and logistics of the event, but I’m pretty easy going. Quite frankly, my focus was on content and conversations, and both were excellent.
Now’s the Time to Put the Bickering to Rest
I’ve gone to the last 4 IA Summits. In 2009 I was disappointed with the tone. It was as if 2009 was the year of bickering among UX professionals. And yes, I do proudly use the term “user experience,” because it’s not only information architects who attend this conference. Likewise, it’s not just interaction designers who attend the Interaction conferences or usability specialists who attend the UPA conferences. Why do you think different people with different job titles go to different conferences? There could be a variety of reasons. Perhaps TITLE A would like to grow his or her skills in or understanding of PRACTICE B. Maybe TITLE B likes relationships s/he has formed with the fine folks who PRACTICE A in the A CONFERENCE.
The problem I saw in 2009 was that people became so hung up on job titles and defining themselves. Why is there such a strong need to claim ownership over tools and techniques and pedigrees? If there is any fault with the conference itself, perhaps the IA Summit should be renamed using more inclusive UX terminology – perhaps the “Information Design” conference. After all, the fruits of our collective labor is to make stuff that collects, processes, and/or transmits information. That information may be 1s and 0s of a digital solution or it may be the information processing that takes place in my own head when I want to interact with a designed physical object. I liken our varied professions to the culinary arts. Here’s how I described it in response to Dave Malouf last year:
“How about this metaphor: Someone in the culinary or food services industry may refer to him/herself as a “chef” but we know this is not an accurate term. It is an easy term to use when “talking to the outside world” but it does not fully articulate his or her skills. Is this person an executive chef, a sous chef, a station chef, a pastry chef, a pantry chef? One could even argue that a pastry chef works on an entirely different “product.”
Now, do each of these roles have similar goals despite possessing different skills? Sure. Are some roles more skilled than another? Yes. Is one role more important than the other? It’s debatable. Can one person who wears one of these hats also wear another? Sure.
Now although you’ll likely pick apart my metaphor, my simple point is to say, “So what?” Yes, there are both similarities and differences. That’s why we use “UX” to describe a whole cadre of “tools” that can be used. I think it becomes confusing when we intermingle the skill (i.e., interaction design) with the identity, or how we identify ourself to others (i.e., I am an interaction designer). It’s the label we place on ourselves that is too limiting, IMHO.”
So Now What?
I think now is the time to shut up and stand up. Acknowledge that all of our skills are vital to solving problems. Instead of treating our differences like a pissing contest, let’s look at it like a wedding. I’ll make the appetizer, you make the entree, and s/he’ll make the wedding cake. It’s a party we should celebrate!
Let’s not get too caught up in basing our own self identity and our own self importance by what we do for a living. I have strengths and weaknesses as a professional in this “UX” landscape. If I don’t have one tool, I either get it or ask someone who has that skill for help. Perhaps the real discussion should focus on needed skills for the profession and knowing when it’s worthwhile to acquire them vs. asking someone for help. So, I think now is the time to lay our weapons down, stand up, and celebrate. Celebrate our differences. Celebrate how we complement one another. After all, if we can acknowledge that we cannot do it all or always get it right, then it becomes easier to ask for help and easier to offer help. Then let’s consider attending “UX” conferences such as the IA Summit, the UPA Conference, the Interaction Conference, et al. Then consider attending conferences that are outside of the UX world. Conferences that complement. Maybe even conferences that do not appear to have relevance to the practice of IA. Think about why you attend conferences and then choose wisely. Go to make or grow friendships. Go to learn new things. Go to expand your horizons. Go and present. Present using your own life knowledge. Teach the rest of us concepts that are outside of the traditional UX makeup but can add to our learning. Just go, but go with civility and humility.
I’ll leave you with a song of inspiration, a song I was listening to on the way home from work…yes, the day after I returned from the Summit, all tired and thrown off by the time zone change…it’s a song that inspired me to dust off my blog and say something to you today.
Designing with Lenses [UX Booth - Apr 06, 2010] – A design lens allows you to view the user experience through the eyes of a single design principle. Lenses were originally created for game design but are just as powerful for user experience design.
Data collection for usability research [Userfocus - May 05, 2008] – How should you go about collecting data in usability tests? This article examines the data collection process in usability studies and describes some popular data logging solutions. Since most of these tools are expensive, I show you how you can use Microsoft Excel with Visual Basic macros to collect the data.
Log usability tests like a pro [Userfocus - Apr 01, 2010] – Observing a usability test seems simple but it’s easy to lose focus during a session and record only the dramatic or obvious usability problems. As you watch the test, you should make minute-by-minute observations of the participant’s behaviour as single letter codes. Datalogging ensures you note all behaviours, not just the ones that stand out, and provides all you need to quickly create a list of usability issues you can pass to the design team
Best User Interface Design Resources: The Round-up [Dzine Blog - Mar 15, 2010] – When in reality you should do what works best for you and your users. Below you will find a variety of excellent User Interface resources that will allow you to access, redefine, and create a well designed User Interface. You should use these resources first as inspiration, and second as somewhat of a guide as to what your users may need when they come face to face with your UI.
The KJ-Technique: A Group Process for Establishing Priorities [UIE - May 11, 2004] – In our consulting work, we’ve found that, like the military experts, our clients usually have most of the answers already in their own organization. The trick is to get all the people with the right perspectives to reach consensus quickly. For this, we’;ve turned to a group consensus technique we’ve been using for years, called a KJ-Method (also sometimes referred to as an “affinity diagram”). The KJ-Method, named for its inventor, Jiro Kawakita (the Japanese put their last names first), allows groups to quickly reach a consensus on priorities of subjective, qualitative data.
Five Types Of Cell Phone Users [MediaPost - Mar 30, 2010] – 87% of Americans have mobile phones, up from 69% in 2006. 5 classes of mobile users:
1. Mobirati (19%) – first generation to have grown up with mobile phones.
2. Social Connectors (22%) – Mobile phone is essentially a social lubricant, and for whom texting is just as important as a voice call.
3. Pragmatic Adopters (22%) – Just getting beyond using mobile phones solely for voice calls. If service quality is disappointing, they will switch to another provider. They also say once they find one they like, they will stick with it.
4. Mobile Professionals (17%) – Extra features are more important than calling, and are more likely to switch to service providers offering the latest technology.
5. Basic Planners (20%) – Interested in basic mobile packages only, and only use cell phones in emergencies, are confused by plans and don’t use other features.
What is Information Architecture? [MAYA Design- Feb 14, 2009] – When we say Information Architecture (IA) we are really talking about everything you can define about a solution without specifying the underlying system (the raw plumbing) or specifying the particular user interface that will be employed to deliver and manipulate the information. By thinking about the architecture of how information is used, how it flows, and how it fits within the user’s world (its context), you can capture the essence of how to build a system that is not only intuitive but futureproof.
On Thursday April 8th I will be headed to the 11th annual IA Summit, held in Phoenix, AZ. I’m really excited about the program, because the subject matter covers both practical and theoretical concepts related to Experience Design topics.
I also look forward to chatting with others. It’s amazing how many people I am only connected with via Twitter. I look forward forming new f2f friendships and deepening others.
If you’d like to intentionally meet up, give me a holler @robfay.
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