tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32422662011-10-02T06:35:23.252-05:00Croc o' Lyle101 Ways to Optimize Online ExperiencesLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.comBlogger3941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-45562481188417995752011-04-10T23:11:00.000-05:002011-04-10T23:11:23.716-05:00Book Review of Steve Krug's "Rocket Surgery Made Easy"
Susan Weinschenk posted a video review of Steve Krug's latest book on YouTube. If you're looking to learn more about how to conduct a usability test, Steve's books are a great place to start.
Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-84776220033397340742009-01-09T13:53:00.002-06:002009-01-09T15:42:54.744-06:00Have they broken Google Search?It seems that Google has made a major change to how search queries work. So much of a change that for "power users" of Google search, they may have just "broken" their search engine. Google's boolean search capabilities are relied on every day by researchers, scientists, marketers and other web users.I've been using Google since it was first in "beta" and as long asLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-24389305722500999822008-11-20T09:19:00.003-06:002008-11-20T11:34:41.236-06:00The One-Click Rule of Web DesignI been thinking the 3-Click rule is outdated and needs to be updated. Let's face it, three clicks is way too many. Why should we optimize for three? I think we can do better than that.Therefore, let me introduce you to the One-Click rule. "Users should be able to get to everything in just one click (or less)."Just some of the benefits of this rule are that usersLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-15057981051248528752008-10-31T11:04:00.000-05:002008-10-31T11:04:42.296-05:00Balsamiq Mockups Home | BalsamiqNew Sketching toolDiscovered this via Twitter (thanks Kevin!)Balsamiq MockupsBalsamiq MockupsRelated Concepts:Prototyping, sketching, wireframe, mockups, storyboards, prototype, visioLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-50715395927831024812008-07-22T16:02:00.000-05:002008-07-22T16:02:47.887-05:00Presentation Zen: When bar charts go badKeep your condoms out of my information designInteresting discussion on use of imagery in charts on Presentation Zen: When bar charts go bad...resisting the urge to post sarcastic comments...Be sure to note the "Click for larger size" link. :)Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-71823110414201739542008-07-18T14:00:00.001-05:002008-07-18T14:03:27.973-05:00Goodbye to faulty software?This article I discovered via ACM entitled "Goodbye to faulty software?" highlights how often researchers just don't "get it". Here are a few key quotes:"Will it ever be possible to buy software guaranteed to be free from bugs? A team of European researchers think so.""The key lies in an esoteric reformulation of mathematics called ‘type theory’ based on the notion of Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-21453197290442019742008-06-30T10:36:00.001-05:002008-06-30T10:37:01.989-05:00How To Be A Good Product ManagerJeff Lash is a fellow "UXer" who's made the leap into product management. His blog, How To Be A Good Product Manager, is a great resource. Posts like "Stop gathering requirements" and "Do not be afraid to remove features" are refreshing.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-85763100643523094912008-06-09T17:54:00.001-05:002008-06-09T18:01:27.879-05:00That's Some Kinda Thumb Drive!Device Daily covers 10 Weird USB Drives.My favorite is the syringe shaped one. I'm sure some of my pharma and medical clients would love those!Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-62497846498819361302008-06-02T15:19:00.005-05:002008-12-09T01:54:48.323-06:0011 Ways to Improve Your Website...or 11 Ways to Create a Bad Online Reading ExperienceI had just finished reading a great story from Joel Spolsky on his experience procuring new office space in New York, when I saw a link to "More from Inc.com." The list of links was right after the final paragraph of Joel's article, and one link in particular caught my eye: "11 Ways to Improve Your Website"I Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-79109331314690690902008-05-07T10:38:00.004-05:002008-05-07T13:36:27.064-05:00Topping the list of things neither you nor your CIO ever want to know...How To Master Microsoft Windows System Restore Points (CIO Magazine)The fact that a magazine aimed at CIO's and technology leadership feels this kind of article relevant strikes me as a very telling statement on the state of technology today.See also:- Anti-virus tools- Backup software- Version Control tools- PC Data Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-75897218845819573502008-04-21T12:07:00.001-05:002008-04-21T12:10:58.155-05:00Stupid Phrases Only a Tech Analyst Could Love"Consolidated Web 2.0 Market" - Where do they come up with this stuff?"The buying market for Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis and social networks will grow to $4.6 billion in 2013, predicts a Forrester Report released today.""the number of vendors offering Web 2.0 software will likely shrink during the next few years as vendors such as IBM andLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-61240312804662899052008-04-18T10:10:00.005-05:002008-04-18T10:47:04.259-05:00Disconnect for a day!Reading this article:Movement grows for digital day of rest, I had to chuckle. Every year I make a point to vacation in a place where I absolutely can't get online. My favorite is the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota (Quetico on the Canadian side)...it's glorious. No electricity, no Internet, no cell phone coverage in most areas, no running water, no TV, no radio...I Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-23665231550607815862008-04-10T18:00:00.001-05:002008-04-10T08:41:41.693-05:00A Flickr Collection of Search PatternsLou Rosenfeld of Bloug fame alerted me to a great collection of screenshots from different web sites that focuses on different search and search results patterns. It's cool to see a set of examples that allows designers to see how other sites provide search interaction without having to "root around" on the web. Peter Morville deserves credit for putting thisLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-86817888987825745512008-04-09T15:09:00.000-05:002008-04-09T15:09:34.412-05:00Delighting Customers - Article - ApogeeWhat does it take to delight customers?My good friend Dan from Apogee in Hong Kong posted a nice, succinct article on how to delight your customers. Of course, it's not a big stretch from delighting customers to delighting employees, volunteers, members, or other "users". But if you're reading this you probably already realize that Dan's maxim can be applied broadly when designing.You'll note Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-71462792164714066722008-04-04T12:10:00.000-05:002008-04-04T12:10:24.350-05:00The Simple Truths of Service MovieThe Simple Truths of ServiceThis is an inspiring video about a grocery store bagger named Johnny, and how he changed his world.The Simple Truths of ServiceLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-79898970541134771672008-01-16T15:41:00.000-06:002008-01-16T15:43:42.471-06:00User Experience Specialist: One of Best Careers for 2008U.S. News & World Report has announced31 Careers With Bright Futures for 2008, saying the careers chosen "offer strong outlooks and high job satisfaction."Here's their two-part profile of a Usability/User Experience Specialist career:- Executive Summary - US News and World Report- A Day in the LifeOf course, UX and usability jobs vary a lot.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-85043116515731972672007-07-24T15:25:00.000-05:002007-07-24T15:25:56.579-05:00A funny readIf Architects Had to Work Like Programmers is a good, short read poking fun at how business clients sometimes treat technology folks.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-66977364882911148132007-06-05T15:15:00.000-05:002008-12-09T01:54:48.506-06:00Last Name First - Stupid Web FormsNorthwest Airlines provides a great example of one of my pet peeves: forms that ask for information the way the company (or their computer) wants it rather than the way a real human is used to providing it.Northwest's online Check In form should be really simple. You only have to enter three (3) things to check in for a flight. What surprised me so much that itLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-41605509534528025712007-06-01T15:23:00.000-05:002007-06-01T15:26:55.336-05:00Make It a Beautiful Day in the NeighborhoodI just read 15 Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever. For those of you who grew up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, it's well worth the read. If you don't know much about Fred Rogers, you should read it. He was an amazing person, and helped shape many a young child's mind. Mr. Rogers provided a safe, peaceful, comforting learning experience Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-31228695846220432622007-04-27T14:23:00.000-05:002007-04-27T14:23:08.062-05:00Google Image LabelerGoogle Image LabelerA great example of getting users to provide metadata ("tags") if you make it fun. The Google Image Labeler makes tagging images into a game you play in real-time with another user online. You get "points"...and maybe some entertainment along the way.Hmmm...does it have potential for use on intranets of large companies? Possibly.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-10177677079880845432007-04-17T21:24:00.000-05:002007-04-17T21:24:51.285-05:00No one belongs here more than you. Stories by Miranda JulyA New Approach to Writing for the WebNo one belongs here more than you. Stories by Miranda JulyYou could say the author takes a new interpretation of the term "web appliances."Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-19693162335936410342007-04-17T16:05:00.000-05:002007-04-23T09:54:38.278-05:00Sitemaps are Stupid(Guides are good)I've thought that sitemaps are a Bad Idea for about 10 years now. Ten year later I finally got around to writing a blog post about why I think they are stupid. Here are a few things to consider:1. A sitemap is usually just a replication of the existing site navigation. A sitemap (aka "site map") takes all the main navigation items, and maybe a second level of Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-15113875976501060942007-03-30T09:13:00.001-05:002007-03-30T09:14:04.751-05:00ThatsalottaroadsignsSigns Originally uploaded by acmelucky777.21 North going once, twice...sorry ma'am, you just missed your exit.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-20356600495197549482007-03-29T16:26:00.001-05:002007-03-29T16:32:46.886-05:00Friendly Wizard of the DayUnused icons where? Originally uploaded by allan.rojas.The desktop cleanup wizard will zap those pesky unused icons that you worry about every day.Now if they'd just come up with an "Email Inbox Cleanup Wizard" that throws all your unopened, unanswered and/or unwanted email into a folder on you desktop...THAT would be really helpful.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-30987129669466284162007-03-29T09:33:00.000-05:002007-03-29T10:09:57.020-05:00Command Line vs. Graphical User Interfaces(or "Do you know what you want, or would you like the soup of the day?")A recent poster to a usability email list pointed out that command line interfaces can be more efficient than GUIs once they are learned. He had even found a web site that offers a command line for web browsing. http://www.yubnub.org/. This brought to my mind a few analogies that Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-27480713745585517002007-03-22T12:27:00.000-05:002007-03-22T12:27:59.351-05:00User Research Doesn’t Prove Anything :: UXmattersSamples and StatsThere's some good stuff in this UXmatters article: User Research Doesn’t Prove Anything. The sections on sampling and statistics are very nice summaries for UX practitioners. I've met many UX practitioners who either:- never learned these subjects in school- forgot the relevant lessons- think that you can gloss over these points in businessBeing accurate is important. There isLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-49334377536844013422007-03-16T10:16:00.000-05:002007-03-16T10:52:58.941-05:00Web 2.0If you haven't seen this video from YouTube entitled "Web 2.0...The Machine is Us/ing Us"...you should.It's notable not just for the points the author is making, but for the really cool techniques used. The style is simple and great.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOELet me just add that...We'll need to rethink usability.Additional Resources:- Wikipedia: Web 2.0- AJAX Usability Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1171301195997115402007-02-12T11:26:00.000-06:002007-02-12T11:26:36.203-06:00Your next "car"?BodyRite: HyperBike.I wonder if this contraption comes with drink holders or an mp3 player...Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1169825327726240772007-01-26T09:28:00.000-06:002007-02-11T15:26:40.963-06:002007 Bad Usability CalendarCheck it out (PDF) Read about it hereLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1169565462700769412007-01-23T09:17:00.000-06:002007-01-23T09:17:42.860-06:00Joel's review of Dreaming in CodeJoel Spolsky's post The Big Picture has some great UI design points to make:First, that you need to DESIGN first, and that many projects fail because people jump right into coding without a design:"This is a particularly dangerous trap when it comes to software development. You get some big picture idea in your head for what you want to do, and it all seems so Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1168988346509194432007-01-16T16:59:00.000-06:002007-01-17T16:17:19.096-06:00Stop, Look, ListenIn Berlin, a 46-year-old German motorist driving along a busy road suddenly veered to the left and ended up stuck on a railway track, because his satellite navigation system told him to. When the friendly voice from his satnav told him to turn left, he did what he was 'ordered' to do and turned his Audi left up over the curb and onto the track of a local streetcar line. Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1165967236993485222006-12-12T17:47:00.000-06:002006-12-12T17:47:17.376-06:0015 Ways You Should NOT Have Fun with Your WiiSome entertaining graphics to decode:Gizmodo: The Japanese Wii Safety Manual is CrazyThanks PaulLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1164662104741443902006-11-27T15:15:00.000-06:002006-12-01T10:44:14.326-06:00Spamarama 2006: Are you attending?According to a Postini press release, spam has skyrocketted 59% from September to November, and 91% of all email is now spam."Postini processed nearly 70 billion email connections from September to November, and saw a 59 percent spike in spam over that period. Unwanted email is currently 91 percent of all email, and over the past 12 months the daily volume of Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1163606460299538592006-11-15T10:01:00.000-06:002006-11-15T10:01:00.386-06:00Nice Information Visualization BlogJunk Charts is a neat blog that critiques charts, and then goes futher in some cases into redesigning them. If you enjoy Edward Tufte's work, you'll like this.Thanks to Peter B.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1163129490966837372006-11-09T21:31:00.000-06:002007-01-26T08:19:51.080-06:00Bad Usability CalendarThanks to the latest UPA Monthly (a UPA member newsletter), I learned of this frabjous "Bad Usability Calendar" for 2006 (PDF). It's great...er...really bad...well, you'll know when you see it.[Note: After blogging this it strikes me that it's totally in the spirit of this calendar to wait until November to tell you about it. :-) ]Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1162231517779661592006-10-30T12:05:00.000-06:002006-10-30T12:05:18.003-06:00Cryptography experts confessCNET: At 30, crypto still lacks usability, experts say" 'In the early years, we as an industry could blame the system for controlling the pace of innovation because the government was throwing up roadblocks,' Ozzie said. 'At this moment in time, it's laziness on the part of the industry in terms of not embracing architecture and the importance of human interface in Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1159311835633280092006-09-26T18:03:00.000-05:002006-10-07T07:05:48.710-05:00New Podcast Installment: SpoolCast #2As you may have noted in an earlier post, I'm part of a panel podcast that is geared toward user experience practitioners...called the "Spoolcast". The latest installment (#2) is just coming out now, and I must say I think it'll be enjoyable and thought-provoking for those in the "user experience biz". We engage in some light-hearted joking and debate, Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1158890945995186582006-09-21T21:09:00.000-05:002006-10-10T02:17:36.376-05:00Reach Out and Observe SomeoneJust found this small Remote Usability Testing Wiki - which has a couple of nice lists of remote testing tools and remote card sorting tools.It also alerted me to a new tool from TechSmith - UserVue...which complements Morae very nicely! [Thanks to Nate Bolt]Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1158891319680023982006-09-17T21:12:00.000-05:002006-11-07T11:37:49.206-06:00User Friendly Conference 2006 - Hangzhou, ChinaNov 3-5, 2006UPA China warmly invites you to User Friendly 2006 for 3 days, bringing together usability practitioners, designers and technologists from across China and internationally. Come to Hangzhou to continue the tradition of sharing, friendship and learning as experienced in Beijing (2004) and Shanghai (2005)The conference will be in English Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1157521400398991762006-09-07T17:41:00.000-05:002006-09-07T16:43:15.936-05:00Card Sorting from the Bottom Up (and the Top Down)If you're in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, check out this UPA Minnesota Chapter event on Card Sorting on September 14th.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1157521082813885432006-09-05T23:46:00.000-05:002006-09-06T00:38:02.926-05:00Hear the Croc Speak...Froggy Style in PodcasteseI recently participated in a new panel podcast with a great group of folks put together by Jared Spool. The sessions have been coined "Spoolcasts", and I think the first one turned out pretty good.During the first podcast, we talked about the new Brown University web site, what it means to be usable, MySpace, Craigslist, the importance of home pageLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1156824444225835032006-08-29T07:05:00.000-05:002006-08-28T23:07:24.226-05:00UPA 2007 Conference Submissions OpenHave you considered creating a submission for the Usability Professionals'Association (UPA) Conference next June 11-15, in Austin, Texas? This isan excellent opportunity for you to share your knowledge and experiencewith other's who care about usability! http://www.upa2007.orgLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1156823942359625722006-08-28T22:58:00.000-05:002006-08-29T01:27:41.153-05:00The Truth of User Experience: Three Stages"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur SchopenhauerThis quote made me think about how usability (the concept) has been received by the technology elite in the last 10 years.First, they seemed to reject it...refusing it flat out. Much like Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1156521640615305292006-08-25T10:58:00.000-05:002006-08-25T11:00:40.636-05:00Ease of Use and Usability Engineering as Marketing ToolsThis press release from Red Gate shows how you can use ease of use as a competitive advantage:Red Gate Poll Reveals Role Of Usability Engineers Critical To Future Of Software DevelopmentA few nice quotes from Red Gate's Press Release:"The company’s SQL Bundle customers were asked why they would recommend Red Gate products, with an Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1155059676457494642006-08-08T12:54:00.000-05:002006-08-08T12:54:36.750-05:00Oz -IA 2006An IA conference in Sydney, Australia looks to have a great lineup of presenters. I've met a few of the presenters, and just wish I didn't have all this "real work" to do, and could just attend conferences around the world for a living. (Anyone who'd like to gainfully employ me to attend conferences on their behalf, please email me at yesimfilthyrich@professionalconferenceattendees.comLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1150148540029022292006-06-12T16:42:00.000-05:002006-08-07T14:30:41.520-05:00More Blogs About UPA 2006I've updated the UPA Conference Wiki to include a list of bloggers who've posted something (so far) about the UPA 2006 conference. To login to the UPA Conference Wiki, use a password of "upa".Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1150146146040590522006-06-12T16:02:00.000-05:002006-06-12T16:02:26.103-05:00UPA 2006 Conference - MondayThis week I'm at the Usability Professionals' Association (UPA) Conference, just outside of Denver, Colorado. It's only Monday, and I'm already meeting new people and learning new things. The number of people trying to make more usable products around the world is really amazing. There's a great amount of international attendees. Last night I had dinner with 3 other Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1146097342659214432006-05-02T07:22:00.000-05:002006-05-03T08:51:17.166-05:00Card Sorting - The Book A book in progress by Donna Maurer. Publisher: Rosenfeld Media. Anticipated publication date: January, 2007Donna has been writing her weblog, DonnaM, since 2002, and is a Very Sharp Cookie. Donna says that many of the existing resources on card sorting don't answer the majority of questions practitioners face, so she's focusing on card sorting as a practical technique to Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1146543095833082052006-05-01T23:11:00.000-05:002006-05-21T10:14:10.323-05:00Online Photo Editor - A Lightweight PhotoShop Anywhere?A new web application called Phixr (pronounced "fixer") is pretty slick. After playing with the online demo a bit, I'm impressed. You can do basic photo editing: - resizing - cropping - red-eye removal - rotating - sharpening / blurring - adding borders - adding text - and a number of other functionsWhat's impressive is it looks like theLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1146257108091399182006-04-28T15:45:00.000-05:002006-04-28T15:50:46.020-05:00Human Error, Design Flaw, or a Darwin Award Winner?When you see a headline like "Man runs himself over in Burger King drive thru" - you just have to watch the video.Related:- Darwin Awards- How To Jump Start A Car (Note it says to "make sure the cars are in park", but it omits the very important precautionary warning "don't lay underneath the car while performing the jump start.")Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1138722532055984632006-01-31T09:08:00.000-06:002006-01-31T11:10:39.173-06:00Caroline's Rules for labelling Buttons1. Label the button with what it does.2. If the user doesn't want to do it, don't have a button for it.Read Caroline's nice, short article on the topic:http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article2949.aspRelated Info:- MS Windows Interface Components - Controls - has a section on command buttons- Apple Human Interface Guidelines > Controls > Buttons- IBM: Using Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1138720032483473132006-01-31T09:07:00.000-06:002006-01-31T09:07:12.556-06:00New Year, New Job, New PostsWow! It's been two months since my last post...I can't believe it. Well, I'm planning to change that and post more frequently. (Publicly declaring that means I'm all the more likely to actually do it.)I recently took a new job...leaving my position as User Experience Director at Cargill. Cargill's a great place to work, and I really enjoyed the time there and will Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1133022283314644992005-11-26T10:24:00.000-06:002005-11-26T10:24:43.373-06:00Workers Waste 10% of Their Time Fighting with Technology
From Scotsman.com: We have the technology, now tell us how to use it
"OFFICE workers waste up to a month a year trying to figure out how to use their computers properly because modern technology is so complicated, a new study warns.
Trying to get their heads round difficult programmes on the PC is costing firms both time and money, oftenLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1130997630845207312005-11-03T00:00:00.000-06:002005-11-03T00:01:54.490-06:00Today is World Usability DayI'll be participating in events here in the Twin Cities along with representatives from many local companies. "On November 3rd, 2005, World Usability Day, a worldwide series of events will promote the benefits of user-centered design, with the theme "Making It Easy." Local events are being held in over 100 locations in 35 different countries."World Usability Day is Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1130435328681947512005-10-27T12:48:00.000-05:002005-10-27T12:48:48.726-05:00User Centered Products Are Market Winners - An example from Whirlpool
This recent Whirlpool Press Release is just one example of how a company that adopts and uses UCD (I know that Whirlpool has an active UCD/usability team) will create products that win in the marketplace. The press release shows that, by being user-centered, a company knows what product features or attributes have value to Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1130253454175801872005-10-25T10:17:00.000-05:002005-10-25T10:17:34.236-05:00ROKR Phone Not Meeting Customer Expecations
ROKR Not Rocking, says Motorola
"Motorola's chief executive - Ed Zander has reportedly admitted that the company may have got it wrong with the recently released, iTunes-compatible, ROKR phone.
...the number of people returning the ROKR is six times higher than normal"
Seems to me that some early concept testing would have helped prevent some of Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1126135057891679672005-09-07T18:17:00.000-05:002005-09-07T18:17:37.946-05:00Now I've seen it all...
Talk about taking "user experience" to a whole new place:
http://restroomratings.com/
Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1125600777352008202005-09-01T13:52:00.000-05:002005-09-01T13:52:57.406-05:00Letter to Google - How you can help Hurricane Katrina survivors
I just emailed this to the Google Blog:
Just an idea I thought Google could help with.
Currently the Google home page has a link to Google News coverage of Hurricaine Katrina. Something that might help survivors and family members is to have a link to a site or sites with information about finding/notifying family members who Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1125509851404740262005-08-31T12:37:00.000-05:002006-11-24T05:06:02.113-06:00Muji - the Un-brandBusinessWeek: The Serious Cachet of "Secret Brands""Muji certainly has made a business case for saving marketing dollars on brand building and plowing that money into better design at affordable prices. Its executives believe a brand name or a logo is extraneous and doesn't bring a specific benefit to consumers except to satisfy their ego. "Muji can focus on the basic essence Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1122346468624518762005-07-25T21:54:00.001-05:002008-04-09T16:48:18.556-05:00Polishing your diamond search resultsAmazon's AJAX diamond search is very cool. It's also dangerous...if you say "hey honey, come check THIS out"...it could set you back thousands of dollars! :-)Compare it to their basic diamond search [Suffers from linkrot - as of 2008, can select "basic diamond search" from the AJAX page, but not sure if this is what the old one looked like.][via iaslash ]Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1121450935055386542005-07-15T13:08:00.000-05:002005-07-15T13:11:07.323-05:00Change or Die "What if you were given that choice? For real. ... You wouldn't change." Nine in ten people wouldn't change."You can train a rat to have a new skill. The rat solves a puzzle, and you give it a food reward. After 100 times, the rat can solve the puzzle flawlessly. After 200 times, it can remember how to solve it for nearly its lifetime. The rat has developed a habit. It can performLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1121203436765242302005-07-12T17:12:00.000-05:002005-07-12T16:25:36.760-05:00Usability Professionals Salary & Employment SurveyAs President of a local Usability Professionals' Association Chapter, one of the topics I get asked about most often is salary benchmarking. Sometimes HR professionals have a hard time getting data about compensation for Usability related jobs. Well, UPA is doing something that will help answer those questions.The UPA is running a survey to gatherLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1121108417943866312005-07-12T17:00:00.000-05:002005-07-12T16:10:20.036-05:00Is PC Support fundamentally broken?A thought-provoking quote from PC World's Techlog - Dell vs. the Blogosphere"When my electricity goes fritz at home, I call in the electrician and tell him what's wrong and he fixes it and tests it and I pay him and thank him. I don't have to hang out with him and hand him wirestrippers.But with computers, we are expected to suffer through the process; we aren'tLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1121107801334225902005-07-11T13:50:00.000-05:002005-07-11T13:50:01.396-05:00Ipswitch & Usability
At the UPA 2005 conference, I sat on a panel with Dr. Carol Barnum, mentioned below. I've also been a long-time user of WS-FTP, one of Ipswitch's best-selling products...so this press release caught my attention. I think it's a great example of business partnering with acedemic organizations for success. Carol is a really sharp lady, and it sounds like her group often Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1120665170212507252005-07-06T10:52:00.000-05:002005-07-06T10:52:53.816-05:00Missing the point
This Is Broken points out that many hotels stick labels next to fire sprinklers in bathrooms rather than providing a convenient place (e.g. a hook) for hanging clothing on.
This is analogous to providing a good, clear error message rather than making the user interface more intuitive in order to avoid the error situation.
Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1119661635759934372005-06-24T20:07:00.000-05:002005-06-24T20:07:15.820-05:00Top 10 Least Usable Everyday Items
From a recent User Vision survey, the top 10 "least usable items"were as follows:
1. Video Recorders
2. Child car seats
3. Digital TV systems
4. Digital cameras
5. Washing machines/dishwashers
6. Tin-openers
7. Packaging
8. Central heating systems
9. Handheld computers
10. Non-disposable nappies
User Vision is in the UK, and some of these names aren't whatLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1119557685779613252005-06-23T17:14:00.000-05:002005-06-23T15:14:45.790-05:00Usability Guidelines Recommendation"Through 'usability engineering' and these Guidelines, we have tested and redesigned our own site to reflect a citizen-centered approach. I see these Guidelines as a wonderful resource for improving the communication capabilities of HHS, as well as all government agencies. I recommend that these Guidelines be used by all who deliver information and services to Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1119458014763357172005-06-22T11:33:00.000-05:002005-06-22T11:33:34.823-05:00
If you're a blogger...think about taking the survey.
[Via Mena at Six Apart]Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1119331425012899602005-06-21T00:23:00.000-05:002005-06-21T00:23:45.083-05:00Your web site might be a pain in the neck if...(with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy)
If your home page has four navigation bars, and "investor relations" is in two of them...your web site might be a pain in the neck.
If mousing over your main navigation bar causes content and colors to change in a totally different section of the page...your web site might (literally) be a pain in the neck.
If Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1118789008838447522005-06-14T17:43:00.000-05:002005-06-14T17:45:14.026-05:00This postintentionally contains only ten words including the title.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1118422399682884872005-06-10T11:51:00.000-05:002005-06-10T11:53:19.686-05:00Blogger's doing Usability TestingSend your blogging friends here if they live near Mountain View, California.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1118327526082697192005-06-09T07:29:00.000-05:002005-06-09T09:32:06.086-05:00Welcoming 3D to the blog worldDeeDee DeMulling ("3D") has a blog. DeeDee is a usability/UCD/product design consultant in the Twin Cities area (Minneapolis / St. Paul). Product ExperienceLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1118293102521545352005-06-08T23:58:00.000-05:002005-06-08T23:58:22.526-05:00Logo Trends 2005
Graphic Design USA - LogoLounge.com’s Third Annual Visual Trends Report
"Trends are not an accusation of some widespread lack of original thinking. Instead, they are a sign of design evolution in our ever-shrinking world."Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1118100486294470572005-06-07T01:28:00.000-05:002005-06-06T22:25:44.200-05:00Ten Years of Alertbox - Thanks JakobJakob Nielsen's Alertbox is 10 years old. Jakob's Alertbox was one of, if not THE first usability column I started reading after taking a 5-day GUI design (UCD) class from Susan Weinschenck around June 1996 (she's now at HFI). I was designing web sites and had to keep asking Susan about how UCD concepts (or the design guidelines presented) would apply to a Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1117220655393942452005-05-27T14:03:00.000-05:002005-05-27T14:04:15.403-05:00Das KeyboardAm I being overly-critical if I say this sounds like a totally stupid idea?Source: [New York Times: A Keyboard That Lets the Supremely Confident Show Disdain for Qwerty]Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1115829612093106022005-05-11T11:40:00.000-05:002005-05-11T11:40:12.376-05:00Yahoo plucks Amazon.com design guru
CNET News.com reports:
"Internet giant Yahoo has named Larry Tesler, a veteran design engineer at Amazon.com, to lead efforts in shaping its consumer experience.
Tesler, 60, will be vice president of Yahoo's user experience and design group, reporting to Geoff Ralston, the company's chief product officer. He will also be a research fellow in Yahoo's ResearchLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1115181160834087502005-05-03T23:32:00.000-05:002005-05-03T23:36:22.010-05:00Dvorak: "Kill Outlook Express Today"John C. Dvorak of PC Magazine does a good scorch-job on Outlook Express, focusing on a number of usability issues in an article called "Kill Outlook Express Today". "I can tell you this much. If Microsoft persists in using this old code as the free e-mail program in Longhorn, I'm switching to Linux. It would indicate that the company really does not care squatLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1114636022670133442005-05-03T22:50:00.000-05:002005-05-03T22:49:28.190-05:00Payphones of the WorldAn interesting survey of different pay phone designs. Here's a crude looking example from ArmeniaAnd here's a humorous looking one from Turkey.Note the web site itself isn't the most usable. I had some problems trying to navigate using the maps and found the text links more reliable.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1115091229140415142005-05-02T22:33:00.000-05:002005-05-02T22:35:33.190-05:00New Sun.com DesignCongratulations to the Sun.com team.Sun.com: A fresh new look has some nice before and after screenshots.Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1115044583088943552005-05-02T09:36:00.000-05:002005-05-02T22:37:31.396-05:00Band-Aid Design EvolutionThe Journal Gazette has a nice story on the history of the Band-Aid and it's evolution:Inventor stuck to design goals with earliest Band-AidLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1114635203867178272005-04-27T15:53:00.000-05:002005-04-27T15:53:23.866-05:00How to say "hi" in 15 different countries
The Business of Touch from Aquent uses Flash (sometimes effectively, and sometimes gratuitously) to demonstrate the cultural differences in business greetings (e.g. shaking hands) in 15 different countries. The use of Flash helps show the action (e.g. a bowing motion). In some cases, the design uses animation to distraction - in the case of the China Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1114013959225615622005-04-20T07:19:00.000-05:002005-04-20T11:29:47.583-05:00Dumb Email of the DayI received an email today that just made me laugh because of how ridiculously written it was. It went a bit like this (details omitted to keep the source anonymous):"I work with [Company name] a [blah blah] company that is looking for a [Job Title 1] and a [Job Title 2]. I was hoping to network with you and would appreciate any referrals. Perhaps you might be looking for a Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1112799565516364152005-04-06T09:59:00.000-05:002005-04-06T10:07:31.273-05:00New Mobile Device Interaction Techniques?In a press release from F-Origin entitled "F-Origin Announces Radical User Interface Technologies That Make Using Mobile Devices Easy and Intuitive""HaptiTouch, a touch screen system with tactile feedback, brings the simplicity of human touch to mobile devices, effectively removing the need for keypads, stylus, and other pen-like input devices. Through Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1112798751686895102005-04-06T09:45:00.000-05:002005-04-06T09:45:51.686-05:00Innovation in Electronic Dictionaries
An example of trying to extend the usefulness of a tool by thinking about the user (and in this case, the word's) context:
"Rather than just looking at a single word that has been selected in a text, it analyzes the whole sentence in which the word appears, making use of extended linguistic and lexical data to arrive at precisely the meaning and the Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1093403463678869022005-03-30T00:15:00.000-06:002005-03-30T00:06:05.690-06:00Design Quote of the Day"While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, another is busy making mistakes and becoming superior." - Henry C. LinkThis quotes makes me think about how, often in business, user-centered design (UCD) is used to help us learn from our mistakes. Companies or teams who hesitate (or fail to identify and understand their mistakes) remain inferior when compared with Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1110895990586237132005-03-29T07:00:00.000-06:002005-03-30T00:03:13.963-06:00Apple's iPod Shuffle Design Gets Ripped-off!...or does it?A story that broke a few days ago at CeBIT, a major electronics expo, has evolved. It initially looked like taiwanese company Luxpro had ripped off the design (and product concept) of the iPod Shuffle to make a "Super Shuffle". They also displayed it in ways that minimicked the Apple iPod marketing campaign. Apple lawyers were called. Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1111431034075801722005-03-22T05:50:00.000-06:002005-03-22T08:17:19.553-06:00If Your Home Page Could Only Talk This article is quite funny. A great example of criticism via satire. Here are a couple of excerpts:"First, let me say, I have no idea who you are, or why you came, but believe me when I say, I built my site just for you. My company and products are the best there is to offer." "Contacting me is easy. Just fill out the form when you find it. When you find the Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1111429984191927472005-03-21T12:33:00.000-06:002005-03-21T12:33:04.193-06:00Do users really cares about culture when it comes to web design?
I found this quite curious:
"One of the most time consuming conversations in the company is the extent to which the look & feel of this template is appropriate for each local market, with country managers always claiming that the site needs to have a more local look & feel.
This is despite the fact that we have standardized our Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1111429415555527322005-03-21T12:23:00.000-06:002005-03-21T12:23:35.556-06:00Tim Berners-Lee, web inventor, compares mobile web design to accessible web design
"Web designers have learned to design for the visually impaired and for other people. They will learn in a few years how to make Web sites available for people with mobile devices, too," Tim Berners-Lee said today at a seminar on the future of the Web.
From Web design hampers mobile Internet, Berners-Lee says - Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1102689330495367802004-12-10T08:35:00.000-06:002004-12-10T08:35:30.496-06:00Don't do as I say...
SAP Design Guild -- Golden Rules for Bad User Interfaces
"As people like to do just the opposite of what one is proposing, we thought that it might be a good idea to promote bad user interface design."Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1102625152532260072004-12-09T14:45:00.000-06:002004-12-09T14:45:52.533-06:00Airhead design of the day
Thanks to Form Function Emotion for this goodie (with photos):
"This machine is high tech. It has buttons so you can set the correct pressure for your tyre, and then all you have to do is press another button, and the machine will automatically pump the type up to the right presure. And it is in this cleverness that causes problems..."
Form Function Emotion: Coming upLyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1102539990343806942004-12-08T17:06:00.000-06:002004-12-08T15:07:29.930-06:00Simply calling something "Research" isn't good enough
An article in Wired News - Florida E-Vote Study Debunked - points out that serious research must be done in a responsible fashion.
"A study by Berkeley grad students and a professor showing anomalies with electronic-voting machines in Florida has been debunked by numerous academics who say the students used a faulty equation to reach their Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1101739361687053952004-11-29T08:42:00.000-06:002004-11-29T08:42:41.686-06:00The Usable Consultant
An article by Dave Rogers in the Gotomedia newsletter contains
a definition of "consultant usability":
"The extent to which a consultant helps people to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction within the realities of their organization."
He makes some great points:
- Usable consultants listen obsessively
- Usable consultants generously Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1100793462991286452004-11-18T09:57:00.000-06:002004-11-18T10:04:45.980-06:00Gates Is World's Most 'Spammed' Person
"Gates, Microsoft's chairman, gets 4 million e-mails a day and is probably the most 'spammed' person in the world, his Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said Thursday."
At the height of my personal battle with spam, I received as many as 282 spam per day, and the average was about 200 per day. I estimated that it took at least 20 minutes per day to Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1100528742717247152004-11-15T07:25:00.000-06:002004-11-15T08:27:00.640-06:00Stoplight Design
Why are stoplights Red, Yellow and Green?
"Stoplights are red, yellow, and green, because traffic officials, early on copied the code system railroad engineers devised for track systems controlling the trains."
And something interesting I learned from reading "From cells to bells, 10 things the Chinese do far better than we do"
"In Tianjin, a city of 13 million people, Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1099538915863729952004-11-03T21:28:00.000-06:002004-11-03T21:31:29.450-06:00AMR Research Says "The New Game is Ease of Use and Accessibility"
Here's a must read: AMR Research: Functionality Is Dead, and some excerpts from it:
"But rather than be a sporadic phenomenon, ease of use and accessibility are about to enter a time in which they will become a selection metric on par with technology and functionality. AMR Research has been spotting this trend for the last year Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1097459597522548672004-10-10T20:53:00.000-05:002004-10-10T20:57:40.550-05:00CRM Daily: The New Look of E-Commerce: The Customer Experience:
(Note: I've added links where I thought they added value...as good WEB authors should.)
"Usability testing is now a regular part of e-commerce development in retail, banking and financial services and is gaining ground in other sectors. Still, some industry verticals are slow to get the message.
'The auto makers tend to be Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1097013658443909122004-10-05T17:00:00.000-05:002004-10-05T17:00:58.443-05:00Whither the newspaper?
An article in Editor & Publisher yesterday makes me wonder if in 20 years, the average web site will be more intuitive and comfortable to most people than a newspaper. I can see it now: a high school kid (from the class of 2028) looking at an old, yellowed newspaper from September 11, 2001 and asking Grandma to explain the news format. 'So you're telling me Grandma that Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1096983481459055982004-10-05T08:38:00.000-05:002004-10-05T08:38:01.460-05:00Will biometrics help us get rid of passwords?
After reading this reviiew of a biometric IBM ThinkPad T42, I'm looking forward to the time when biometrics are a standard way of logging into a computer. Swiping a finger across a scanner is so much easier than remembering a bunch of passwords.
What do you think? Will biometrics make systems more usable or is it all a bunch of hype?
Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242266.post-1094697697591381622004-09-16T18:41:00.000-05:002004-09-16T12:08:04.336-05:00Bad Statistics Give Me Chest Pains
On the radio last week I heard a local news reporter say of Bill Clinton that "90% of some of his arteries were blocked" (prior to his quadruple bypass). I grimaced and groaned and I think I might have made some derogatory remark about the reporter's intelligence. Ninety percent of *some*???!!! Nothing like being exactly vague with your statistics. Note Lyle Kantrovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001921364207417286noreply@blogger.com1