January 2010
3 posts
Book: A short history of nearly everything - Bill... →
My favorite book on science…
“It is a natural human impulse to think of evolution as a long chain of improvements, of a never-ending advance towards largeness and complexity - in a word, towards us. We flatter ourselves.”
"Intuition is out. Metrics are in" →
Interesting article from business week on the importance of analytics. The article discusses the growing demand for data analysts as the amount and availability of data increases and decision-making becomes more performance-based.
They don’t mention the other benefits, which are that user experience researchers and designers working in an agile environment can conduct more focused, speedy,...
Service design tools →
It’s been a while since I posted here, but what better time to start posting again than the new year. I have a good feeling about 2010…
One of the biggest challenges in my work as a researcher right now is communication of findings to the rest of the organization, so I was happy to find the beautifully presented content on this Service Design Tools site.
Happy New Year!
May 2009
3 posts
Agile, product ownership, and user experience - an... →
“I don’t know what I want but I know how to get it”
- Sex Pistols
Jeff Patton uses this quote to describe a common occurance in agile teams - teams focus on defining what they want to build and then creating it incrementally using agile methods. The weakness of this approach is the inherent inability of such teams to cope with inevitable change or new knowledge. During the...
“Creativity is a gift that we give ourselves, but craftsmanship is a gift we give...”
– John Marion
Everyday Usability - 14-Point Checklist for... →
Short and sweet. Kimberly Krause Berg writes a refreshing and to-the-point article on how to improve site usability and conversion rates.
April 2009
2 posts
An internet watered down presentation, John... →
John Pettengill explores possibilities of the mobile web. The mobile web should be more than a watered down version of the internet. Instead, it should take advantage of context and appreciate the different states that users are in as they are out and about in the world (vs. sitting at their computer).
March 2009
3 posts
IA Summit Closing Plenary, Jesse James Garrett →
In his closing plenary to the IA Summit 2009, Jesse James Garrett stepped out on a limb and suggested the use of the umbrella term ‘User experience designer’ rather than the outwardly confusing terms ‘Information architect’ or ‘Interaction designer.’ See also: the UX tribe, It’s just UX - petition in support of UxD.
Garrett also has some interesting...
Ada Lovelace Day - celebrating women in technology →
When I think of the women in technology who have inspired me, the people that come to mind are the practitioners and thought leaders in the field of agile user experience: Angela Martin, Marilyn Mantei-Tremaine, Leah Buley, Kate Rutter, Helen Sharp, Lyn Miller… While I do not talk to these women on a regular basis (or at all, in some cases) they are women that inspire me to develop my own...
Design Research Methods for Experience Design →
Michael Hawley discusses ‘experience design’ as an alternative option to user experience design.
“New methods and approaches for experience design merge the best of traditional user-centered design and genius design. The goal is to obtain insight into the attributes of an experience that would help or delight people based on research evidence.”
He describes some new tools...
User experience & product ownership →
Matt Roadknight presents a stunning presentation on developing the user experience in an agile environment. He discusses the definition of an ‘experience architecture’ and ‘user journey’ in order to define the vision for a product, and explores some of the tensions between agile methods and innovative product design. And even if you’re not interested in the topic,...
February 2009
4 posts
Writing the Product Backlog Just Enough and Just... →
Mike Cohn discusses what I find to be one of the most challenging aspects of working as a ux designer in an agile environment: “The goal of the [User Experience Designer] is to add detail to the story in a just-in-time manner.”
This refreshingly concise article explores the creation of feature descriptions for just-in-time for agile software development, and provides some insight into...
The true 21st century begins →
An example of why Bruce Sterling is one of my favorite writers…
“The year to come is best approached as a learning opportunity. It offers a golden chance to bury our dead prejudices and learn how to properly feed the living. Once we stop shaking all over and scolding Americans, we will recognize the tremendous potential this new century offers the people of the world. The sun still...
January 2009
12 posts
Coralie Bickford-Smith: An Interview with the... →
An inspiring interview with book cover designer Coralie Bickford-Smith.
Deconstructing Product Design →
William Lidwell and Gerry Manacsa will be exploring the meaning of design in their upcoming book, and we can too…
“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you...”
– George Bernard Shaw
10 Most Common Misconceptions About User... →
This article by Whitney Hess is a great ux primer for bosses or customers. She describes 10 things that user experience design is NOT; number 10 being ‘…a choice.’
Design Hates a Depression →
Murray Moss replies to the recent article ‘Design Loves a Depression’ by Michael Cannell.
“This is not a celebratory moment for design. Design-related businesses, including my own, are suffering, and will most likely continue to face very difficult times in the coming year, at the very least. That said, I deeply resent the tone of comeuppance in Mr. Cannell’s article, his...
Design Revolution or Social Revolution?... →
Core77 ran a fascinating article on the Saint-Etienne International Design Biennial by Marcia Caines.
“The Biennial kicked off with a press conference with local authorities…delivering a very clear message: the city wants to apply design and ‘design thinking’ to local industries, schools, cultural initiatives and higher education, and create a ‘design state of...
German word of the day
Das Können - mastery, competence, proficiency
International Journal of Design →
Design Loves a Depression →
This article from the New York Times discusses the effect of the recent economic crisis on design.
“…however dark the economic picture, it will most likely cause designers to shift their attention from consumer products to the more pressing needs of infrastructure, housing, city planning, transit and energy.Designers are good at coming up with new ways of looking at complex problems,...
December 2008
4 posts
The User Experience of Enterprise Software... →
I was happy to find this article on enterprise software. The article points out the low expectations and bad design that are generally associated with the creation of enterprise systems.
Sherman argues that the two factors that drive negative outcomes when putting enterprise software into place are:
“Enterprise software developers don’t pay sufficient attention to the specific wants and...
Design for impulse, Robert Fabricant →
Robert makes the distinction between outputs, outcomes, and impacts:
“1. Outputs: the specific products & services that you will be distributing.
2. Outcomes: the immediate changes in user behavior that result from interacting with these products and services.
3. Impacts: the value / overall effect of this behavior in addressing your goals.”
He also points out that...
Getting Real About Agile Design, by Cennydd Bowles →
This article on A List Apart provides a good background story and sound advice for designers working in an agile environment. Check it.
Digging beyond user preferences - Indi Young,... →
Indi Young’s presentation on mental models is an interesting overview of what mental models are, how they can be useful, and the process of creating a mental model.
The highlights for me from this talk:
* Indi explains the differences between preference research (likes and dislikes), evaluative research (how an artifact fulfills it’s promise), and generative research (understanding...
November 2008
7 posts
Adaptive Paths Aurora Concept →
Adpative Path has put forward their imaginings for the future user experience for the web.
I like the ideas that they have, including time based 3d visualization of web browsing history (similar to time machine), the ability to manipulate/visualize data found on the web, and easy sharing/discussion of web content with a social network.
On the other hand, I think (hope) that the future of the web...
Paul Graham: Artists ship →
“Steve Jobs’s famous maxim “artists ship” works both ways. Artists aren’t merely capable of shipping. They insist on it. So if you don’t let people ship, you won’t have any artists.”
Paul Graham talks about the danger of putting too many checks on software development work - higher costs coupled with reduced performance and motivation from...
Balancing Economy, Equity, and Ecology Through... →
A fascinating talk with insights on systems-based design, the flaws in current industrial-age thinking (and doing), and technologies that can improve our industry and environment.
A good investment of an hours time.
Wonderful slide show on typography by Jeff Croft →
Models of Experience - Dan Saffer/Jodi Forlizzi →
“One interesting take-away was the three types of interactions people have with products:
Cognitive. These are usually interactions with new and unfamiliar products or sometimes problem products. Users are focused a lot on the product, not the task at hand. These sorts of interaction result in either knowledge (learning a new skill) or confusion and errors.
Fluent. Nearly automatic use of a...
Reducing my footprint
* I’m buying local goods that do not have to be transported great distances
* I’m reducing my consumption of goods such as beef, cheese, and clothing, that have a large water footprint
* I’m trying to fly less often. I can get a lot of training and knowledge on the internet rather than flying to every interesting conference I would like to attend. I can consolidate my trips and...
Contextual design at SAP →
“People’s work is complex and full of detail. It’s also intangible — there’s no good way to write down or talk about work practice. Design teams seldom have the critical skill of seeing the structure of work done by others, looking past the surface detail to see the intents, strategies, and motivations that control how work is done.”
October 2008
17 posts
German word of the day
zeitgemäß - contemporary, modern seasonable
Intelligent systems: Tools that will discreetly... →
In Search of Strategic Relevance for UX Teams →
Based on a CHI 2007 panel “Moving UX into a Position of Corporate Influence: Whose Advice Really Works?”
Don Norman Lecture - Institute of Design →
On the design of services.
“I started thinking about services. We all know about product design, we all know how to do it, so therefore it’s boring to me. I mean, most people still do it wrong, but it’s boring because we know how to do it. Services, we don’t really know much about.”
* Takeaway point - the importance of feedback in service:
“If you actually look at what’s going...
Word of the day
bespoke
On flickr - by Chris Colin →
An interesting article exploring the nature of the flickr community.
“In public life, we know how the line is drawn. It’s drawn ploddingly by legislative and judicial bodies — a maddening process often, but theoretically an accountable one. In the public-private sphere of online communities, however, a company like Flickr is only as accountable as it chooses to be.
Anyone...
Word of the day
Notwithstanding
Is effort a myth - Seth Godin →
I love this.
Word of the day
Veneer
30 reasons →
“Thirty designers create thirty posters and give you their thirty reasons to vote for Barack Obama.”
Job trends in Web/IT →
Word of the day
trite