Simplicity Costs Less and Works Better

If ordinary people have to use it, make it simple. You'll be doing your users a favour, and saving money too.

Baker, Adam. Merges.net (2001). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design

So What Is User Requirements Gathering?

More than one reader has pointed out that our recent article 'Alternatives To User Requirement Gathering' spent plenty of time illustrating why certain methods were inappropriate for the task of requirement gathering, without actually detailing the correct way to undertake this type of research. In way of compensation, this week we provide some (brief) advice on this absolutely crucial area to successful application or site development.

Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design

So You Want to Be an Interaction Designer 2006

Five years ago, Robert Reimann wrote a seminal article for the Cooper Newsletter called 'So You Want To Be an Interaction Designer.' Like many people, I read the article and said, yep, that's what I want to be. I took Reimann's (good) advice and found both work and training as an interaction designer.

Saffer, Dan. uiGarden (2007). Careers>Usability>Interaction Design>User Centered Design

Stalking the User: Practical Field Research  

Describes how technical communicators can use field research--observing people in their workplaces, homes, and schools--to gain a better understanding of user behavior.

Rosenbaum, Stephanie L. Intercom (2003). Articles>Usability>Methods>User Centered Design

Starting a Career in User Experience

This article is based upon my own experience transitioning from a career in corporate-world project management into the field of user experience design. With dedication, some talent, a few classes, and a healthy dose of self-promotion, the transition was fairly easy, very enjoyable, and took about two years. I have outlined a few key points to consider if you are planning to start a career in user experience design.

Haid, Marcus. Adaptive Path (2003). Careers>Usability>User Centered Design>User Experience

Strategies for Usability: Putting ISO Standards to Practice  

Is your documentation and training a solution for complex product design? Whether designing software, hardware, documentation, online help, or a telecommunication network, a strategy for usability is essential to user-friendly design.

Dick, David J. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design

TaskZ

This site is dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits derived from the use of 'user-centered' development methods in the creation of advanced technological solutions to complex social and business problems. The primary focus of our editorial content is on screen-based products and services. In the strong belief that knowledge is power and collaboration expands knowledge we have created this site with the hope of building an executive resource for user-centered design information.

TaskZ. Organizations>Usability>User Centered Design

Tech-Support Tales: Internet Hard to Use for Novice Users

The Internet is still much too difficult to use for novice users. Specialized information appliances like WebTV reduce complexity but still involve considerable risk of user error.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1997). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design>Usability

Tell Site Visitors What To Do

Being sensitive to the fact that the user is in control, many sites simply present as many options as possible on their home pages. The thinking apparently being that the more choices you show on page one, the more likely you are to present something that connects with as many visitors as possible.

Usborne, Nick. ClickZ (2003). Design>Web Design>Usability>User Centered Design

Ten Steps for Cleaning Up Information Pollution

Better prioritization, fewer interruptions, and concentrated information that's easy to find and manage helps people become more productive and stop wasting their colleagues' time.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2004). Design>Web Design>Usability>User Centered Design

This Is What Happens When You Let Developers Create UI

If you let your developers create your UI, hilarity ensues.

Atwood, Jeff. Coding Horror (2006). Design>User Interface>Usability>User Centered Design

Three Ways To Find Out What Your Customers Want

The Web is interactive, whether you like it or not. And your customers are live participants in the marketing process, whether you like it or not. And as participants, they want something that most companies find hard to deliver. Your customers want you to listen. They want you to tune in and hear what is on their minds.

Usborne, Nick. ClickZ (2001). Design>Web Design>User Centered Design>Usability

Tools and Trade-Offs: Making Wise Choices for User-Centered Design

How can we choose among customer data collection methods when limited staff and financial resources must be spread across the whole development cycle? This tutorial helps participants understand the tradeoffs, so they can make effective choices among methods at different points during product design and development. It focuses on early user-centered intervention to gain cost-effective, reusable end-user information.

Rosenbaum, Stephanie L., Judee Humburg, Judith A. Ramey and Anne Seeley. ACM SIGCHI (1995). Design>User Centered Design>Human Computer Interaction>Usability

Toward Integrating Our Research Scope: A Sociocultural Field Methodology    

Technical communicators have recently become interested in user-centered design (UCD) for designing and evaluating technical genres. Yet, a critical examination of the field methods of UCD suggests that they suffer from unintegrated scope: an undesirably limiting focus on a particular level of scope (either the macroscopic level of human activity or the mesoscopic level of goal-directed action) in their theoretical underpinnings and data collection and analysis. This focus is often paired with the assumption that this particular level of scope causally affects what happens at the other levels. Both the focus and the assumption are at odds with sociocultural theories of human activity. This article lays out the problem of unintegrated scope and examines it through critical analyses of two field methods used in UCD research. It concludes by proposing an integrated-scope research methodology for UCD research, with roots in both sociocultural theory and the central issues of technical communication.

Spinuzzi, Clay. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2001). Articles>Usability>Methods>User Centered Design

The UCD Decision Matrix: How, When, and Where to Sell User-Centered Design into the Development Cycle

Welcome to the UCD Decision Matrix Website. This is a tool that provides information about how user-centered design practitioners around the world have had success and failure integrating their processes into the product development lifecycle.

Gunther, Rich, Jeff Janis and Scott Butler. OVO Studios (2001). Resources>Usability>User Centered Design

Understanding Design Misfits

The purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss design misfits. A cursory overview of misfits is provided, along with a working definition. Eight types of design misfits are revealed. Three examples of each type of misfit are provided for clarification.

Rhodes, John S. WebWord (2001). Design>User Centered Design>Usability

Understanding Principles of Usability, Part 1

In this podcast, Karen Bachmann, manager of the Usability and User Experience SIG, provides an overview of the user-centered design process. This is part one of a two part series.

Bachmann, Karen L. Tech Writer Voices (2006). Presentations>Usability>User Centered Design>Podcasts

Usability and User Experience Design: The Next Decade  

Predicts that usability practitioners will need new skills to cope with changes in this field.

Wilson, Chauncey E. Intercom (2005). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design

Usability for All

With a small budget to create a website, many small businesses bypass usability testing. While it is not always possible to do a full-blown usability test on a small website, there are steps that website developers can take to help make sure users are not ignored during the process.

Weise Moeller, Elizabeth A. IEEE PCS (2005). Design>Web Design>Usability>User Centered Design

Usability Gesucht

Unregelmäßig erscheinende Artikel über die aktuellen Problemen in Bereich Ergonomie/Usability und die mögliche Lösungen.

Sedelnikov, Andrei. Usability Gesucht. (German) Resources>Usability>User Centered Design>Blogs

Usability in Practice: Company Profile of Hylotek

Which companies are actually practicing usability, and what does usability mean to them? Who's investing time and money into usability, and what kind of return are they receiving on their investment in the real world?

Giangrossi, Diane. Usability Interface (2004). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design>Case Studies

Usability Must Die

Usability is a tool that should be in the kit of all software designers/programmers. It only became a profession when people found they could charge £1,000 a day by calling themselves Usability Engineers and pontificate on the mysteries of 'ease of use'.

Usability Must Die. Humor>Usability>User Centered Design

Usability News: The F-Pattern

Since I've started developing websites I've been looking for the ideal layout. Today I got another hint on the direction to take. Jacob Nielsen calls it the 'F-Pattern.'

Information Architects Japan (2006). Design>Web Design>Usability>User Centered Design

Usability Testing and User-Centered Design in Technical Communication Programs: Current and Emergent Models  

In recent years, technical communication programs have begun to introduce students to the principles of usability testing. A natural outgrowth of the traditional technical communication emphasis on audience analysis and user advocacy, usability testing also serves as an interesting and potentially lucrative career path for some technical communicators, and introduces a fascinating research trajectory for students and faculty alike. It’s no surprise that technical programs are incorporating usability testing instruction in one of two ways: some offer separate courses in usability testing at the undergraduate or graduate level. Specialized labs and corporate collaborations are often associated with such curriculum designs. Most incorporate usability into specific courses in a 'usability across the curriculum' model. Typically, existing computer labs double as usability testing facilities. These efforts are admirable, but leading scholars and practitioners agree that usability testing alone, because it occurs late in the product development cycle, no longer suffices. A gradual movement toward continuous user involvement at all stages of product development is underway.

Kitalong, Karla Saari. CPTSC Proceedings (2000). Academic>Education>Usability>User Centered Design

The User Advocate: Interactive Prototyping, Part 1: Easy PDF Prototyping

I've often observed that once wireframing begins, it's off to the races! In the rush to launch, we sometimes forget end-users. Is there a way to ensure that they get a voice during this always-hectic phase?

Rogers, David J. GotoMedia (2005). Articles>User Centered Design>Usability>Testing