Designing Documents

The aim of this tutorial is to provide an introduction to typography. Typography is defined as: the art of designing printed matter; the appearance of printed matter. There are many different types of printed matter, books, brochures, newsletters and many more. This tutorial focuses on technical documents. Typography is relevant for user interface designers from two perspectives. Firstly, user interface design often includes the presentation of text on a display. Although typography is mainly concerned with printed matter, it provides valuable guidance for these situations. Secondly, user interface design involves to a large degree documenting and communicating designs, usually on paper. Knowledge of typography can aid this process.

HCIRN (2003). Design>Typography>Rhetoric>Visual Rhetoric

Designing User Interfaces

In the discussion of interface components we sometimes found it difficult to keep logical interface components separate from toolkit interface components. For example, a label is a logical interface component that describes another component. However, a label is also a toolkit interface component that is used to display non-interactive text and graphics. As such, a label may by used for other functions besides describing other components. For example, a label may be used to create a section header or to display some icons. Wherever possible, we tried to make the distinction between logical and toolkit interface component explicit.

HCIRN (2001). Design>User Interface

Designing Web Applications

There is no commonly accepted definition of web applications. Like regular websites, web applications are based on standard web technology: (D)HTML pages accessed through a web browser using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Java applets and Flash, even though embedded in web pages, use different technologies with different capabilities and limitations and are not web applications.

HCIRN (2003). Design>Web Design>Adaptive

HCIRN Job Bank

Job postings in Human-Computer Interaction, organized by geographic region.

HCIRN (2003). Careers>Job Listings>Human Computer Interaction

Human-Computer Interaction Job Bank

An international directory of listings for positions in HCI.

HCIRN. Careers>Usability

Human-Computer Interaction Resource Network

Human-Computer Interaction Resource Network, or HCIRN for short, was founded in 1997 by Thomas Wolfmaier. Our mission is to advance the practice of human-computer interaction (HCI) by providing HCI professionals with relevant, accurate and timely information on HCI theories, methods, practices and resources. Our scope is to represent the collective knowledge of HCI in a cross-linked knowledge-database. HCI professionals include HCI practitioners, researchers and educators, usability specialist, user interface designers, developers, technical communicators, trainers, and anybody else concerned with creating beneficial computer-supported activities.

HCIRN. Organizations>Human Computer Interaction

What is Your Job Title?

The other day I enrolled my daughter for her first school class. The application interview went well. That is, until I was asked: 'What is your occupation?' I was lost for words. The same happens to me each time I go to a party. Inevitably, somebody will ask: 'What are you doing for a living?' I used to call myself a 'usability engineer'. Not that I like the term particularly. But it sounds respectable. Unfortunately, that got me into trouble with the Association of Professional Engineers. You cannot call yourself an engineer unless you are a member. Well, I am not a member. And I am not planning to become one soon, either.

Wolfmaier, Thomas. HCIRN (1998). Careers>Usability

Why is Usability So Hard?

I was asked a very interesting question the other day. 'Why is usability so hard? Isn't it just common sense?' This is a great question, and one that took me a long time to be able to answer. My difficulty was not because usability is actually easy, but because it can be hard to approach that question properly. The answer is complex and detailed, but like all good things, the basic idea behind it can be explained simply. It's that simple answer that eluded me until now. The problem is partly in the questions. Usability testing is relatively simple and straightforward. The first question should really be 'why is it so hard to build usable sites?' Common sense is not an empirical truth; it's entirely based on our own experiences. Some truths may be more common than others, but little can be safely assumed on behalf of all people.

Smith, Adam. HCIRN (2001). Articles>Usability