Information Architecture, User Experience Design, User Research, Webcast

Leveraging the Web to Extend Global Reach: SHRM India Case Study January 28th, 2010

If you missed the live session of “Leveraging the Web to Extend Global Reach: SHRM India Case Study,” you can check out the presentation on SlideShare.

User Experience Design, Web Development, Browsers, CSS, JavaScript

JavaScript-CSS Compatibility Layers to Save You Some Money? January 25th, 2010

Andy Clarke recently wrote about a new CSS JavaScript compatibility layer called IE-CSS3.js. The library allows users to write CSS using pseudo-element selectors, and have it work natively in IE8 via JavaScript. The JavaScript parses the linked CSS, and dynamically adds rules to the document. This means that the shortcomings of the browser’s CSS display methods can be automatically overcome by creating custom CSS with JavaScript. All users will thus see the same thing. Great.

Social Networking, twitter

The Power of Twitter January 22nd, 2010

Yes, I tweet.  And along with other social media I use, most of the benefits I have gained have been on the social/personal side. I have some followers, but there are more people that I follow (that sounds wrong, doesn’t it?).   I follow a mix of business and personal contacts.  I learn from some but mostly am amused by the tweets I receive and read. And until recently, Twitter has been more of a toy that I felt obligated to play with in order to keep up with everyone else.  I didn’t really get the power of twitter until two recent events – one involved a free meal, the other a tragic world event.

Information Architecture, Usability, User Research

Going Green in Usability Testing January 21st, 2010

A few months ago, the theme of World Usability Day was “Designing for a Sustainable World.”  Well, think about going green with your usability testing for your Web sites by offering more remote testing options than in-person usability test sessions.

A common question clients ask me is whether remote testing will be comparable to in-person sessions.  You will definitely get the same results while offering more flexibility to your users, since they can conduct the tests while they are at home, work, or anywhere.   There’s no need for them to take a couple of hours out of their day to drive to your testing facility or office. Here are a few moderated and unmoderated remote testing options that you can try:

• UserVue
• UserTesting.com
• Silverback
• Userfly

Usability, User Experience Design, User Research

Applying for Improved User Experience January 20th, 2010

I recently helped my 17-year-old son apply to college. Not surprisingly, the process is a bit different than when I went through it years ago. Rather than painstakingly lining up a paper application in a typewriter, with lots of Liquid Paper on hand, applications are now most often submitted online. Sounds easy enough, right? Not so much. What a frustrating user experience!

Internet Strategy, User Experience Design, Video, Visual Design, Web Development

Learn More About the NavigationArts’ Team January 19th, 2010

Leo Mullen:

“Our strategy practices is designed to help our customers look around the corner a little bit and understand what’s coming and help them to prepare for that.”

Technology, User Experience Design, mobile

Windows Mobile 7 January 19th, 2010

At CES 2010 Microsoft announced that Windows Mobile 7 would be much more of a “revolution” in terms of user experience, compared with past versions of the mobile OS (http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/windows-mobile-7-coming-to-mwc-in-february-not-just-evolutiona/). To mobile enthusiasts like myself this initially sounds like a good thing. For years Microsoft’s Windows CE, Pocket PC and Windows Mobile OS’s frustrated users and spawned a legion of dedicated hackers and developers bent on making it better (if only for themselves). I was one of those Windows Mobile die-hards until succumbing to iPhone hegemony 2 years ago.

Internet Strategy, Video

Founding NavigationArts January 18th, 2010

“We founded NavigationArts in 2001 and we did that after conducting a great deal of research in the market. And it was research that was done at the C level. We went out and spoke with senior executives at businesses, in healthcare organizations, in associations.”

“NavigationArts was conceived as an organization that would be an advocate for the user. We try to understand the major issues that businesses and organizations were having around the Web.”

Internet Strategy, Social Networking, Online Content

To Pay or Not to Pay for Content Online January 15th, 2010

There seems to be a constant struggle for any one producing intellectual property — whether the content should be available for free or users should have to pay for it. In fact I am currently working on a project where we are recommending that our client give away some of their content for free. In the midst of studying how others are handling this issue, I came across  “Should You Pay to Read This?”

Information Architecture, Interaction Design, User Experience Design

A Little User Experience Around the Holidays January 14th, 2010

As we end the year and our minds are preoccupied by the holidays I am once again reminded of how important web usability is and how it affects the bottom line everyday. The latest example came from an unlikely source: ballet. Not just any ballet production, though, but The Nutcracker. Let me explain:

Application Development, Interaction Design, Internet Strategy, Usability

Jared Spool’s Favorite Articles From 2009 January 13th, 2010

The usability guru picks his favorite articles published by his organization, User Interface Engineering, for the year. I quite enjoyed “A Recession Strategy for Web Apps” article.

Social Networking, Facebook

User Choices – The Default January 12th, 2010

Facebook recently received some press related to how their members control their privacy settings. They recently added additional account settings that allow members to more selectively share personal information. Some view this as overdue functionality in light of the concerns about online privacy. These changes need to both satisfy the member’s needs and the business goals of Facebook. Facebook has a very strong financial incentive for the users to share as much personal information as possible. One way their business goals are not sacrificed is that even though they are giving more privacy controls, the default settings allow the user’s information to be shared the most. Some advocacy organizations are claiming that because of the initial privacy setting defaults and because of the apparent complexity of changing the user’s privacy settings, the users are not really in control of their privacy. On the surface this concern might seem frivolous, but there is a strong case to be made for how defaults and the number of choices can influence people’s behavior.

Usability, User Research, Video

User Research and Usability Testing January 12th, 2010

“We always tell clients you don’t have to go overboard with either user research or usability testing, but not to do any is a big mistake.”

“The thing about usability testing and the iterative approach to solution development is actually, ultimately, if you take the long view, is actually much more cost effective.”

Insight Article, Web Development, Business Decisions, CMS, content management, integration

Integrating External Applications: The Hidden Costs January 11th, 2010

So you are at the beginning stages of your new content management system (CMS) implementation project.  You are finally going to get rid of the very painful, homegrown content management system you are currently using.  Your head is filled with dreams of eliminating all of your manual processes and replacing them with fully automated integration points between your shiny new CMS and your entire hodgepodge of legacy systems.

Internet Strategy, Video

Era of the Website Redesign is Over January 11th, 2010

“I tell customers today that the era of the website redesign, for all intents and purposes, is over. And what I mean is that in 2010 if you’re thinking about redesigning your website, chances are you have not put in place the kind of platform necessary to allow your site to just chronically evolve forward.”

User Experience Design, Video

User Experience Design in the Google Era January 8th, 2010

“The people in my group, the user experience group, are really by nature Jacks-of-all-Trades. And so they are really involved in the full life cycle of a project. In the early stages we’re really focused on researching to find out more about actual user needs and actual user goals. And we’re also involved in the formulation of business strategies and business requirements.”

Information Architecture, Internet Strategy, Social Networking, twitter

Twitter in 2010 January 8th, 2010

I must admit I was amongst the skeptics who wondered about the usefulness of the 140 word microblog post. As one of my colleagues often says – “Why do I care to know if someone is headed to the bathroom?”

And then I read this recent article in the New York Times Why Twitter Will Endure that made me reconsider my thinking.

Video, Web Development

CMS Evaluation January 7th, 2010

“When NavigationArts starts doing a CMS evaluation what we really have to focus on is why we’re there. What is the evaluation is really meant to uncover, and what the toolset is to answer that question. Is it a distributed publishing model? Are there a lot of users that have to get in, do you have a Web team? We have to get to the actual need.”

Information Architecture, Webcast, prototype, Web Application

AxureWorld 2009 January 7th, 2010

Recently, Ezra Schwartz gathered together a group of Axure power-users to put on a one day (12 hour) webinar. The webinar is chock-full of helpful tips for all users of the Axure product. For those not in the know, Axure is a powerful design tool that makes creating click-through prototypes of complex interactive Web applications easy. The event covered documentation, event-driven widget creation, collaboration and more. AxureWorld posted all the video from the webinar.

User Experience Design, Video

Smart, Informed Web Design January 6th, 2010

“A design made up of much larger things needs to reconcile three key areas. And they are often competing, so that’s the challenge that we face.”

User Research, Business Decisions, User Research

Boomers and Technology January 5th, 2010

You probably never thought your 60-year-old mother would help shape technological trends in the next decade.  You would be surprised.  Microsoft and AARP recently did research on how the baby boom generation is influencing the future of technology and how technology companies should focus more on designing for this generation to expand their reach. Hint: baby boomers adopt new technologies more than a lot of people realize, just in a more selective way compared to younger groups.

Video, Web Development

Web Standards Based Development January 5th, 2010

“When we’re talking about Web standards we’re not just using the technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. We’re also talking about using those technologies correctly.”

“We’re talking about maintaining that separation between the presentation, and the content, and the behavior. And then also we’re talking about where those sorts of technologies interact with content management and application development on the back-end on any sort of website or Web application.”

Internet Strategy, Video

Business Transformation Through the Web January 4th, 2010

“Business transformation through the Web is much more difficult than it appears and it has almost nothing to do with the technology and it has everything to do with the issues of culture, issues of ownership, issues of policy, issues of governance within organizations.”