An axiom of website or app development is “know thy user for they are not you.” It’s easy for an experienced designer to assume that she knows what the end user needs. Even worse, a designer might assume that the end user will be forced to accept what’s given to them, particularly if it’s believed that they have no alternative.
Read MoreDifferent designers solve the same common problems in different ways. I was interested in looking at how a popular website handles its search interface. I decided (for no very good reason) to look at The Atlanticmagazine.
Read MoreLet's take a look at website judged by the good folks at www.awwwawards.com as having an excellent navigation system. Does it stand up to a detailed UX analysis?
Read MoreLet's take a look at the site of winemaker Chateau Yquem, a website judged by the good folks at www.awwwawards.com as having an excellent navigation system. How good is it?
Read MoreSometimes Wikipedia doesn't cover the topics you need to have defined. I think this is the case with personas as the term is understood in the web communications world. Here's my attempt to rectify that.
Read MoreIn website redesign projects that I've led, I've often encountered the problems associated with ambiguous organization schemes. While there are other organization schemes, it's almost impossible to rely on a single solution. A combination of approaches is often best.
Read MoreWhen does a vendor not want a customer to immediately find the content they want? When they want them to accidentally find other stuff that they didn’t even know they wanted when they began their search.
Read MoreBefore a user experience expert begins their contribution to the project, the team that first conceived the idea for the website has to be able to wrestle their imagined website into a physical reality that others can see. This is where the wireframe comes in; it’s the first crack at making the big decisions that will make a website work.
Read MoreResponsive web design solves the problem of device proliferation and multiple domains. The organization need only maintain one website. In a site build using responsive design principles, the content of that single website will re-flow according to the device on which its being viewed, creating no penalty for how the site is used or on what device. Not only that, the site is future-proofed against the emergence of as yet unknown devices that are sure to hit the market in the years ahead.
Read MoreA good mobile website is one which allows the site user to be accomplish their online task in a manner that is easy and free from frustration. Among the wide universe of possibilities, some common user tasks on mobile sites include reviewing the latest news, researching a product, making a purchase, verifying an address, or checking the weather forecast. A good mobile site facilitates quick, painless completion of tasks like these in a way that never calls the user’s attention to the limitations of a small screen or restricted bandwidth.
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