Information grade — Potentially useful concept
A perspective on the similarities and differences between information, data, content and knowledge.
Tag: Usability
Be usable, not consistent, not uniform
Consistency is often seen as a slam-dunk argument in favour of an initiative. But if you don’t know what you want to a design to be consistent with — and why — then consistency risks confusing your users.
User experience lessons from a university dumping Blackboard
One university got so frustrated with Blackboard they finally ditched it. But this experience highlights a big problem with almost all enterprise software.
Are users rational? It depends on what you mean by rational
It’s fashionable to dismiss rational choice theory out of hand. But contrary to what you may have been told, aspects of rational choice theory can still be helpful in understanding the world. And I find it a useful way to think about user experience.
URLs aren’t good enough
I am a web enthusiast, but I think we need to find a better way to navigate the web than URLs.
People don’t want technology
Technology firms are full of technologists who love technology for technology’s sake. But it’s causing problems for people who just want to get stuff done.
Why people are losing trust in the media — and advertisers
Why people are losing trust in the media and advertisers, why ugly websites succeed, and why it’s time to ditch PDFs.
The 14 lessons designers need to know from Ofcom’s report on ‘smartphone by default’ users
Last month Ofcom published a report on the people who rely on their phones as their main way of accessing the internet. Some of the findings are shocking and eye-opening.
Why inclusive design benefits all your users
This first edition looks at why designers should take so-called edge cases seriously, to the benefit of all users.
Path dependence in user experience: why it’s OK that phones are different to calculators
Designers like to fret about the differing keypad layouts on calculators and phones. But economics tells us it may not be such a problem after all.
Web design should be boring
The web is a less creative place than it was 20 years ago. Good.
Can web design really learn from brutalist architecture?
As a web designer with an interest in brutalist architecture, I was fascinated to read an article about what web designers can learn from brutalism. But perhaps instead of taking inspiration, perhaps the lessons are in what web designers should avoid.