#19043
The Interface in the Environment: "One Size Fits Nobody"
At the outset of an interface design project we would normally conduct a detailed phase of user requirements gathering. We have discussed the various methods of conducting these in previous articles, but typically this includes stakeholder interviews and task analysis exercises. As many of you will be aware the results of this stage will lead to the development of user personas, task scenarios and ultimately lead to the development of wireframe screens of the interface. We tailor this approach to suit the job, so that specialised interfaces such as stock trading software will focus more on complex task analysis while mass-market interfaces such as Interactive TV will focus more on different user profiles. If the research and analysis is carried out well, then the resulting interaction design should be effective, allowing users to complete the required tasks easily. However, apart from the user and task there is one other key factor influencing the usability of the interface – the user environment.
Long, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Web Design>User Interface>Contextual Inquiry
#19045
Road to Nowhere - Dublin's Road Signs Get Told Where To Go 
There are two superlative facts about Dublin City’s traffic situation. The first is that a recent study has shown us to have the second worse traffic congestion problem in the world (my condolences to any readers that have to drive through Calcutta on a Monday morning) and the second is that we are, or rather were, the proud possessors of the shortest lived traffic signage system in the world. The signs lasted a mere 24 hours before the Minister for transport ordered these signs be removed. Why were they removed? The answer is usability, or lack of usability to be more precise. Unsuspecting motorists were unable to figure out what the signs were trying to tell them. There were several usability problems with the signs, and many of these have been covered in the media so I won’t cover that ground again. But for any of you that are unfamiliar with the story, the major complaints levelled at them were: they had too much information on them to read at a glance; the format of the information was unfamiliar to everyone (except the people that designed them); tommon place-names were replaced by a system of numbers and colour coding, requiring users to consult maps to establish where they were and where they were heading; the information was difficult to read – too many graphic elements and poor colour contrast; some of the information was only available in the Irish language (contrary to EU standards) and the reason given was that there was not enough space for the English text, so visiting motorists would have to guess that ‘An Lar’ means ‘City Centre’! Having looked at the signs during their brief career on the streets, I would have to agree with the complaints listed above. But at this juncture, rather than raking over old coals, lets examine what Dublin City Council can do to rectify the situation and what steps can be taken to ensure that these mistakes are not repeated in the new design.
Long, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>Usability>Traveler Information>Geography
#19278
Usability Issues in Product Design
As usability professionals and user interface designers, our work is mainly contained within the confines of the computer screen - the GUI or web-based software interface. Interaction touch points outside of this window are usually beyond our control. For example, it would not be practical (or advisable) to suggest redesigning the mouse in order to make a software application or website easier to use. We accept the limitations of these devices and we design interfaces to compensate or compliment them. However, as software interfaces migrate from the computer to become embedded in a multitude of everyday products, the scope to consider the hardware interface and the software interface under one unified approach becomes a possibility and a necessity.
Long, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2002). Design>Usability>Interactive
#34456
Real or Imaginary: The Effectiveness of Using Personas in Product Design 
The use of personas as a method for communicating user requirements in collaborative design environments is well established. However, very little research has been conducted to quantify the benefits of using this technique. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using personas. An experiment was conducted over a period of 5 weeks using students from NCAD. The results showed that, through using personas, designs with superior usability characteristics were produced. They also indicate that using personas provides a significant advantage during the research and conceptualisation stages of the design process (supporting previously unfounded claims). The study also investigated the effects of using different presentation methods to present personas and concluded that photographs worked better than illustrations, and that visual storyboards were more effective in presenting task scenarios than text only versions.
Long, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2009). Articles>User Centered Design>Methods>Personas
#34501
Out of Box Experience: Getting It Right the First Time
The out-of-box experience (OOBE) describes the user's first interaction with a product or service. In the technology sector this first experience invariably involves plugging stuff in, installing some software and crossing your fingers in the hope that the product will work. The problem is that, in far too many cases, it doesn’t.
Long, Frank. Frontend Infocentre (2009). Design>User Centered Design>Business Case>Other...
