#28019
A Pattern Language Approach to Usability Knowledge Management 
Knowledge gained from usability testing is often applied merely to the immediate product under test and then forgotten--at least at an organizational level. This article describes a usability knowledge management system (KMS) based on principles of pattern language and use-case writing that offers a way to turn lessons learned from usability testing into organizational knowledge that can be leveraged across different projects and different design teams.
Hughes, Michael A. Journal of Usability Studies (2006). Articles>Usability>Knowledge Management>Language
#30191
Das kennt man: ein ahnungsloser Klick und plötzlich öffnet sich eine mega-lange PDF-Datei. Seitengestalter sind deshalb angehalten Links auf PDF-Dateien zu kennzeichnen. Selbstverständlich macht das inzwischen auch (fast) jeder.
Lennartz, Sven. Dr. Web (2007). (German) Articles>Usability>Information Design>Adobe Acrobat
#30190
PDF Usability: Debate and Reality
This article examines the claims of those PDF critics and argues that usability complaints about PDF documents are misdirected, and further, highlights some of the key reasons why PDF is the preferred electronic document format.
Johnson, Duff. Adobe (2006). Articles>Usability>Information Design>Adobe Acrobat
#22305
PDF: Fit for Human Consumption If Designed Properly
Jakob Nielsen hit a nerve with some PDF enthusiasts when he recently wrote in his monthly usability column that, in terms of suitability for use on the Web, the format is allegedly 'unfit for human consumption.' We're publishing a rebuttal that another satisfied user recently sent to Nielsen -- and also shared with us. In addition, Steve Borsch provides several samples of PDFs designed to be read and navigated online.
PlanetPDF (2003). Articles>Usability>Software>Adobe Acrobat
#28261
PDF: Unfit for Human Consumption
Users get lost inside PDF files, which are typically big, linear text blobs that are optimized for print and unpleasant to read and navigate online. PDF is good for printing, but that's it. Don't use it for online presentation.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2003). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Adobe Acrobat
#19757
PDF: Unfit for Human Consumption
Users get lost inside PDF files, which are typically big, linear text blobs that are optimized for print and unpleasant to read and navigate online. PDF is good for printing, but that's it. Don't use it for online presentation.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2003). Articles>Usability>Web Design>Adobe Acrobat
#31996
People Finder: Searching Without Logic? Improving the People Finder Application
One of the most frequent tasks on many intranets is finding people within the company. Providing an effective way to search people is thus a key goal in designing intranets. This goal becomes even more important for an organization like Emirates, a leading international airline, which has over 35,000 employees with over 140 nationalities and where more people are likely to use this feature more frequently.
Deshmukh, Vivek. Boxes and Arrows (2008). Articles>Web Design>Usability>User Interface
#26393
Perfect Usability: The One-Button Machine?
One of my favourite Dilbert strips goes something like:'I’ve done it! I’ve invented the world’s most usable machine. It only has one button… and we press it before it leaves the factory.’
Curzon, Paul. uiGarden (2005). Articles>Usability
#23996
It's easy to assemble a set of user characteristics and call it a persona, but it's not so easy to create personas that are truly effective design and communication tools. If you have begun to create your own personas, here are some tips to help you perfect them.
Goodwin, Kim. Cooper Interaction Design (2001). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design>Personas
#19316
Most 'usability' practitioners quite rightly put great emphasis on the ease with which sample users can complete pre-selected tasks. After all, it makes sense to ensure that common tasks, identified after research into user needs, should be completed as efficiently as possible. It is when this 'efficiency' is measured that problems can begin.
Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>Usability>Statistics
#27573
Software is sometimes poorly designed to begin with and the interface should be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch. But more often than not, I see software that started with a decent design and has since had features added onto it with each release, squeezed into the existing design rather than being designed in. People aren't in a design mindset but an 'enhancement' mindset somehow.
Ferlazzo, Ellen Lawson. Sprezzatura Systems (2002). Articles>User Interface>Usability
#30824
The problem of the perpetual super-novice is the tendency of people to stop learning about a digital product--whether it's an operating system, desktop application, Web site, or hardware device.
Sherman, Paul J. UXmatters (2007). Articles>Usability>User Experience>User Interface
#26763
Personas are a documented set of archetypal users who are involved with a product, typically the product's users. Each persona has a name and a picture. They're supposed to give designers a sense that they are designing for specific people, not just generic, ill-defined users. Done well, this is exactly what personas do. The problem is, most teams build personas from the wrong kind of user information, or worse, base them on assumptions.
Saffer, Dan. Adaptive Path (2005). Articles>Usability>Methods>Personas
#24672
Personas, Participatory Design and Product Development: An Infrastructure for Engagement 
The design of commercial products that are intended to serve millions of people has been a challenge for collaborative approaches. The creation and use of fictional users, concrete representations commonly referred to as 'personas', is a relatively new interaction design technique. It is not without problems and can be used inappropriately, but based on experience and analysis it has extraordinary potential. Not only can it be a powerful tool for true participation in design, it also forces designers to consider social and political aspects of design that otherwise often go unexamined.
Grudin, Jonathan and John Pruitt. Microsoft (2002). Articles>User Centered Design>Usability>Personas
#14793
Personas: Matching a Design to the Users' Goals
Perfetti discusses the use of personas--profiles of archetypal users synthesized from interviews with real people--in product design.
Perfetti, Christine. Intercom (2002). Articles>Usability
#14210
Personas: Matching a Design to the Users' Goals
We hear all the time from designers that they're faced with the huge challenge of designing products and web sites for a large number of different users. Many designers tackle this problem by making the functionality of the web site or product as extensive as possible. To do this, they outline all of the goals of each user, identify any commonalities between these goals, and add all of the functionality needed to satisfy these common goals.
Perfetti, Christine. User Interface Engineering (2001). Articles>Information Design>Usability
#22670
Personas: Setting the Stage for Building Usable Information Sites
Personas are hypothetical archetypes, or 'stand-ins' for actual users that drive the decision making for interface design projects. Personas are not real people, but they represent real people throughout the design process. Personas are not 'made up'; they are discovered as a by-product of the investigative process.
Head, Alison J. Online Magazine (2003). Articles>Usability>Methods>Personas
#28587
Philadelphia: User Experience Beyond The Web
Because many of the local Usability Professionals Association (UPA) members work in internet-related fields, Philadelphia's second Annual World Usability Day looked to broaden horizons by focusing on 'User Experience Beyond the Web.' The pervasive theme of the presentations by Hal Rosenbluth, James Mitchell, and Stephen Wilcox was that we actually have a lot in common.
Madaio, Mike. Usability Interface (2007). Articles>Usability>User Experience
#27028
Planning for User Research Success
Planning is crucial if you want your user research efforts to be effective. You need to think about what information you need to gather, and why, before embarking on any research. Good planning, well communicated to the client or project, and followed by careful implementation will ensure your research is effective.
Szuc, Daniel and Gerry Gaffney. Apogee (2005). Articles>Usability>Research
#29873
Planning Usability Tests For Maximum Impact
Usability tests make products better. Those of us who have seen their results understand their value, but we sometimes have difficulty convincing managers or developers of their worth. The pay-off of a usability test depends on its context. Both the type of test you perform and the timing of that test influence what you can do with the results. At best, you can guide the design of a product or clearly demonstrate its usability. At worst, you can ruin your credibility and have no effect on the product whatsoever. This paper explores what you get from a usability test at each stage of the user interface design process. It also provides advice on selling testings to management.
McDaniel, Scott M. and Laura Snyder. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Usability>Testing
#18628
Pluralistic walkthroughs are meetings where users, developers, and usability professionals step through a task scenario, discussing and evaluating each element of interaction. Group walkthroughs have the advantage of providing a diverse range of skills and perspectives to bear on usability problems. As with any inspection, the more people looking for problems, the higher the probablility of finding problems. Also, the interaction between the team during the walkthrough helps to resolve usability issues faster.
#11835
'Polite, Personable' Error Messages
I've spent most of my career in small software companies. My last two development groups didn't have the funds required to 'personalize' their interfaces with animated characters or even multimedia. And the error messages were already scheduled to be reviewed by a writer. If TME's findings were even partly right, I could potentially produce improvements in the way users perceived the software, with no additional expenditure.
Chatelaine, Julianne. Usability Interface (1998). Articles>Usability
#13712
The Politics of Usability: The Importance of Users in Product Design
Usability is political. The travel agent battling with an online booking system. The pensioner struggling to use an ATM. The telephone caller lost in the voice-prompt-maze of a computerised answering system. These people exemplify an underclass of end-users forced to interact with technology during their working and private lives.
McCoy, Thomas. Usability Interface (2002). Articles>Usability>Theory
#21015
Poor Code Quality Contaminates Users' Conceptual Models
Software bugs and system crashes result in huge productivity losses and undermine users' ability to form good models of how computers work. Website designers can help improve user confidence by prioritizing quality and robustness over features and the latest technology.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2001). Articles>Usability>User Interface>Software
#21149
Portable Devices Can Cause Usability Problems
Take a moment and think about the various portable Internet devices available. You see everything from wireless hand held devices, to web-enabled pagers, to cellular phones with email access. The list goes on and on. Every day you can scan the technology headlines and read about several new Internet technologies being announced. Think about the nature of these portable Internet devices: they probably are not very usable.
Rhodes, John S. WebWord (1999). Articles>Usability>Online>PDA
