If You Build It, They'll Come

If you create a community around your Web site, look beyond providing the outer semblances of community: design a site that can potentially work the way each of these very different members of the community wants it to work.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Geoff-Hart.com (2000). Articles>Web Design>Community Building

"If You Can't Handle This, I Am Sorry"

Literacy has always been a material, multimedia construct but we only now are becoming aware of this multidimensionality and materiality because computer technologies have made it possible for many people to produce and publish multimedia presentations.

Faigley, Lester. University of Texas (1999). Articles>Web Design>Visual Rhetoric

Implementing Hamlets

The Hamlet framework was developed to extend Java servlets and enforce the separation of content from presentation. In this article, you'll find an additional way to provide dynamic content as René Pawlitzek advances the framework further and refines use of the template engine.

Pawlitzek, Rene. IBM (2006). Articles>Web Design>Server Side Includes>Java

The Importance of Maintainable JavaScript

JavaScript is hip again; there’s no doubt about it. But if you’re starting to get down and dirty with it, there’s no excuse not to keep it clean.

Heilmann, Christian. Vitamin (2008). Articles>Web Design>Programming>JavaScript

In Defense of Difficult Clients

Challenging clients: avoidable pain or necessary stepping stone to enlightenment? Rob Swan considers the benefits of un-perfect clients.

Swan, Rob. List Apart, A (2006). Articles>Web Design>Consulting

In Search of Salience: A Response-Time and Eye-Movement Analysis of Bookmark Recognition

Describes the effect of bookmark naming on bookmark recognition. The purpose is to provide empirically-determined guidelines for web producers on how to title pages in order to optimise the recognition of bookmarks by users, and increase the rate of revisitation to their websites.

Poole, Alex. Alex Poole (2005). Articles>Information Design>Usability>Web Browsers

In-Text Ads Swap Clutter for Context

The prevalence of online banners and text ads have made all but the most annoying online ads nearly transparent to online users. To stand out from the crowd, some marketers are turning to a simple, relevant and transparent advertising format: the text link.

Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive (2007). Articles>Web Design>Marketing

Indexing Web Pages: Maybe Books Aren't Such a Bad Model After All!

One of our favorite cliches is that you can't use the printed book as a model for online information. Web-based information, which is following the same evolutionary progress as online help systems, has inherited this 'books are bad' philosophy. However, any statement we've begun to take for granted bears some re-examination, because unquestioningly accepting dogma undermines our efforts to improve communication.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Geoff-Hart.com (1999). Articles>Information Design>Indexing>Web Design

Information Architecture Challenges

Creating the information architecture for a site sounds like a science (and some people do study it as a science!) but for our purpose as Web Designers we just want to learn how to structure the information on a website to maximise the target users ability to find what they want.

Wikiversity. Articles>Web Design>Information Design

Information Architecture through Web Analytics

Is your website structured according to the needs of your users? Does it deliver on your website objectives? Use Web Analytics to redesign it.

Hurol Inan (2005). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design>Log Analysis

Information Architecture: On the Web, In Help, and In Print  

Today, a decade into an explosion of Internet-based communication, the web is like a vast and confusing hall of mirrors. It’s full of links to other links, graphic design that distorts rather than illuminates information, whizbang features, silly eye-candy, and dead-ends  all of which impede the progress of people searching for information.

Sisler, Paul, John Moreau and Catherine M. Titta. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Information Design>Web Design

Review: Information Dashboard Design

Stephen Few's Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data defines the state-of-the-art of information dashboard design. Few, who is an expert in data visualization for the communication and analysis of quantitative business information has provided a complete, practical, and illuminating guide to dashboard design. If you are designing front-ends for executive information systems for Business Performance Management (BPM) or for monitoring and analyzing the performance of sales, marketing, or information systems, Information Dashboard Design provides all you need to know to ensure your dashboards communicate efficiently and effectively.

Gabriel-Petit, Pabini. UXmatters (2007). Articles>Reviews>Information Design>Web Design

Information Foraging: Why Google Makes People Leave Your Site Faster

The easier it is to find places with good information, the less time users will spend visiting any individual website. This is one of many conclusions that follow from analyzing how people optimize their behavior in online information systems.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2006). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design>Search

Information Foraging: Why Google Makes People Leave Your Site Faster

The easier it is to find places with good information, the less time users will spend visiting any individual website. This is one of many conclusions that follow from analyzing how people optimize their behavior in online information systems.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2003). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Search

Informed Design: Understanding Your Web Audience

Although there are lots of elements to consider when designing compelling Web experiences (writing style, look and feel, information organization--to name just a few), there is one 'knowable' element that can be used to appraise the rest: audience.

Wroblewski, Luke. uiGarden (2006). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design

Innovation Extreme Makeover

Extreme Makeover is an unlikely place to look for useful insights into corporate innovation. Even the fat, awkward, and, let’s face it, hideous bubble-era companies were not going to improve their questionable bottom lines with a nose job, liposuction, and tummy-tuck. In spite of that, the show can offer some useful lessons when trying to understand the dynamics of innovation.

Ouellette, Robert. Boxes and Arrows (2004). Articles>Web Design>Redesign

Integrate XForms with the Google Web Toolkit, Part 1: Introducing GWT's JavaScript Native Interface

This four-part series demonstrates how to use the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) and XForms together to create a dynamic Web application.

Galpin, Michael. IBM (2007). Articles>Web Design>Ajax>JavaScript

Integrate XForms with the Google Web Toolkit, Part 2: Creating an Artist and Album Management Form

This four-part series demonstrates how to use the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) and XForms together to create a dynamic Web application. Part 1 looked at the JavaScript underpinnings of each technology. Part 2 shows you how to use those JavaScript underpinnings to start mixing the two technologies together to build the rock star application.

Galpin, Michael. IBM (2007). Articles>Web Design>Server Side Includes>Ajax

Intent as a Factor in Designing the Hypermediated Narrative  

The potential for combining images, graphics, video, and sound with traditional text in an interactive environment allowed narrative to move into new areas of expression.

Madej, Krystina. University of Alberta (2003). Articles>Web Design>Hypertext

Interaction Modeling: User State-Trace Analysis

Interaction modeling is a good way to identify and locate usability issues with the use of a tool. Several methods exist. Modeling techniques are prescriptive in that they aim to capture what users will likely do, and not descriptive of what users actually did.

Queen, Matt. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Interaction Design

An Interest-ing Dilemma  

A Web developer experiences uncertainty upon being asked to develop a site for a questionable start-up company.

Schroer-Motz, Leeanne. Intercom (2007). Articles>Web Design>Ethics

Interface in Form: Paper and Product Prototyping for Feedback and Fun

Sketching and modeling are integral features of the design process, critical for both the generation of ideas, and the communication of concepts to others for discussion and evaluation, particularly in the context of human-centered design. While these methods are a natural component of the designer’s education and professional tool kit, there is immense value in exposing other professions involved in the development of products and interfaces to at least a limited set of these same basic tools.

Hanington, Bruce. uiGarden (2006). Articles>Web Design>User Interface

Internal Search: Seven Ways to Ensure Your Users Can Find Your Information  

User Vision's top seven tips on how to ensure your internal search is capable of meeting the needs of your users.

Rourke, Chris. User Vision (2008). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design>Search

International Marketing for the Internet: The Power of Virtual Shopping

Linda, an American living abroad in a country with limited merchandise, orders online for books, contact lenses, and smoked ham. Her Dutch husband buys from www.amazon.com and www.ebay.com because U.S.-based retail web sites offer a wide range of goods at a cheaper price than their adopted country, including lower import duties and lower shipping costs from U.S.-based cargo carriers.

Lopez, Joselito T. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>International

International Sites: Minimum Requirements

Users from other countries have special needs related to entry fields for names and addresses, measurements and dates, and information about regional product standards.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2005). Articles>Web Design>International>Usability