Posts tagged "UX"
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Notes: 1 / 2 years ago
User Experience, driven by Mobile Network Operator.
Today when I saw the news about “Google Buzz” at work, all of my office mates did try to find out if Google Buzz is available for them yet, some get success and some don’t. I as an Android phone user did try it from T-Mobile myTouch3G, guess what? It throw me to the page where it says only Android 2.0+ phones are able to use the Google Buzz.
That’s where I discussed the “reason why I still love iPhone” with him, Apple don’t discriminate on the basis of Software Updates with its users, reason? One Company, One Distribution Channel, One Device Manufacturer. I know we heard tons of time that Apple is bad (or good depends on to whom you are talking) that they control everything except the “Network”. Google on other hand with there semi-open-source Mobile OS and then there are different manufacturers coming up with the Android based phone now almost every month.
Here I am in a very limbo situation from a user perspective, why there is no symmetry on Android core firmware distribution? Is Network Carrier are the one who are suppose to decide what type of firmware I should have it? Crippled their experience? Check out the XDA Forums it fills with that kind of info, the brave Geeks of Android did their magic and still doing it to make the Experience superb! I myself running the T-Mobile Rooted Firmware and it gives me the boost on certain thing for instance… sliding my fingers on the screen and making the screen moves little faster than before (with the default Firmware).
I know here we can debate “buy the Google Nexus or Motorola Droid”, let me tell you… I need it on what I have, not what I don’t have.
I think the best way to approach this problem is let the Google give away the Android updates from there channel solely, and then if Mobile Network Operator and/or Manufacturer decide to put the ‘layer’ on it (see HTC Sense UI, MotorolaBlur, Sony Rachael UI, and Samsung TouchWiz UI for instance) they can ask there device users’ to download that ‘layer’ from their website. Only those who are interested will do it, and I think if your layer is so “Average Joe Friendly” they will for sure get it and it will fly from your server like a hot-cake.
I once told my God Father that …. “Google Android Phones are not for you, because you don’t want complexity in your life… However it is for those who either enjoy the complexities or love complications in their lives and enjoy the Dancing Bear”.
Happy Complexicating
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2 years ago
The iPad: Reality, Unicornism, UXism
So that’s the magical device, the most important invention. Well for average joe, it is somewhat promising. For some power user it is not.
Let’s take a look in to the reality first, it has awesome or I would say gorgeous screen, unlocked but useless on T-Mobile in short AT&T is your only best bet, virtually the only way to go with 3G version is with AT&T, great for high school and college kids, flashy bookstore and iBook no doubt the user experience is really appealing, existing iphone apps compatibility etc.
However in my family these days we are debating over the purchase of webcam based laptop, which I believed going to be an easy decision however it turned out little bit tough. As an average American family we are being careful with our spending. I was expecting the iPad with front facing webcam, because my second half is keeping in touch with her family abroad mostly with Skype Video Chat, alas! The introduction of first generation iPad is really not that impressive anymore from the “need” perspective.
I may buy one (iPad), only to awe myself with the Apple’s latest UI and UX bonanza and get the daily dose of UX inspiration from it. Other than that, it is just a man-up version of the iPhone. As I learned a very good lesson with iPhone that the third iteration is rock solid hence “third time is a charm”. So when they will have the front-facing webcam, I will be the first person in the line to get that device. Why? Apple is the king of “User Experience” enrichment.
From my pictorial experience I would say I am totally disappointed from the “Lock Screen”. The “Slide to Unlock” bar is tiny, it is like a small wee-wee on a Gigantic Dinosaur. I rather prefer something iPad centric as it can be seen in the following figure.
When you slide it up, it will fold-up like “Blinder”. And when you lock the screen, it will fall like a “Blinder”, you get the idea? Right?
Well, right-now we are inclined toward the HP Slate, it has freaking webcam plus full blown OS, and seriously when on Skype video chat you do not need a typing just rest at kitchen counter while in kitchen and continue chatting, on a table? Just dock and keep chatting. Freaking iPad doesn’t have that webcam.
Here is what I am expecting in 2011 iPad, the front-facing camera that will recognize the the user and will launch only those apps that bought or authorized to use for that specific user. Then Apple once again can bank on “$19.99” price for iPad Software upgrade, by default it will have 2 User Pack (couples mostly) and then if you have a big family you can have “$39.99” for Family Pack (5 users). Anyways, too much day dreaming I should go to bed now.
My today’s ranting ends here and hopefully I will continue more ranting on my user experience in coming days.
Good Luck and Thanks to all the magical Unicorns’ bubble burst.
Disclaimer: I took the iPad image from Gizmodo’s “Apple iPad: Everything You Need to Know” blog entry. Thanks to my friend Kamran for the design touch-up.
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2 years ago
My first UX related project…NaanMap
Yup! I just getting myself ready for the NaanMap launch. I dreamed about this idea when I first witness the Zabihah.com, the reason for coming up with the NaanMap idea was simple… I need simplicity whenever I need to search anything related to niche market. Zabihah.com is still complicated and we did our best to come up with the great User Experience with NaanMap to the niche market.
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2 years ago
FedEx Track-bar
Recently I noticed few things in the DHL and UPS and other courier services about the presentation of their “Tracking Detail”, the most innovative one is the FedEx Track-bar.
It tells me exactly what is the current status of my package. Without reading too much “text”.
Here is a lesson for the newbies and experts alike, where the Info-graphic-like picture can represent the detail of the task: Use it! They actually make the task done quickly.
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Notes: 2 / 2 years ago
The Fresh User Experience: Drag to Share
Image Link: http://img262.yfrog.com/img262/9607/9222009121439pmy.png
Yes, I know we are use to with the few steps of sharing when it comes to share the links across our social network Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Digg etc.
Well, today when I was at Mashable I was surprised to see the new interface of sharing the link among the social media by just Dragging it and dropping it over hte Social Media Icons. It is easy and no need to click-n-click then selecting the social media (YouTube had that Click-Click Steps).
Although it looks good from visual perspective and the ease of use, however is there a way to share accross multiple social-media via one drag and drop, instead of multiple drags and drops. At the moment I don’t see that option, but I hope we going to have some kind of “Basket” or “Add-to-Social-Media Cart” icon very soon near every link.
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2 years ago
Web Form Blunder: Act of Labels Placement
Have you read the book name “Web Form Design” by Luke Wroblewski? If your answer is Yes then you must know there are Three known standards for placing the labels on the form. Left Align, Right Align and Top Align (from Field / Textbox). If your answer is in NO then fret not! Read the brief intro of it from Luke Wroblewski’s website http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?793 .
Again, see the screen-shot above from the Harvard Business Review’s Newsletter sign-up form (http://hbsp.ed4.net/prefcenter/signup.cfm). That’s an epic failure of the design. I see here that user will suffer the “Puzzle Thinking Syndrome” for such a small task. Why not follow the tried and true standards while developing the web forms, and put the Homo-Sapiens at ease.
My humble 0.02 User Experience/User Interface Cents.
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2 years ago
UX Two Cents: Amazon’s Add to Wish List
Recently I noticed strange behavior with the “Add to Wish List” button on Amazon.com. When I already added the book in my wish-list, why I keep seeing this button, why there is no UI indication that the following book is already added in to my wish list?
In my opinion there should be a Text Blurb that says “Item you are trying to add already in your Wish-list” and a little link that takes me to my wish list. Instead when I click on the Add to Wish List button and then see the already exist message.
Just my UX Two Cents. -
2 years ago
How to write a Functional Specs
As a Information Architect and/or Experience Designer you usually involve in the Functional Specs writing too. Thats how they rock!
In my recent experience I noticed few things related to the Functional Specs, they are dry and boring, they won’t offer the “interactivity” or “energy” related to the project.
As per our human nature (remember developers are humans too, pun intended), we enjoy a good movie, novel or any short stories. So why not inject that idea in to our Functional Specs for our project. This is in my opinion a superb way to keep the reader (client, project manager, developer, even investors!) enhcanted with the project and this is the power of “Story”. Explaining the shopping cart process in a story mode is always good for mind, won’t give you the “pressure” and won’t make you “sleepy” while reading it. For instance here is what a typical Shopping Cart Procedure explained in the Functional Specs:
Typical Specs:
As seen on FireBird CMS Functional Specs, you will notice the typical functional specs are just a collection of objects, for instance:
Ecommerce and Online Product Catalogue Features
4.1. Product Catalogue
• List products (Thumb, Title, Small Details, Price, RRP, View, Add to Cart)
• Pagination
• Search by Title and DescriptionNow imagine if we can explain this in a “Story Mode” which I think is the best way to explain, even the non-techie people will understand.
“Product Catalogue: Shopping need catalog too, the best way to present the catalog is by introducing the User with the list of product with the Image of the Product, brief description and the price, if necessary we will allow user to add the product right from the Catalog to the Shopping Cart. Every user has their own prefrences we will provide them a “Pagination” feature, this will help them to paginate the catalog according to their need, we will allow them to paginate the product by viewing only 10 products per page, or 20 or 50 at max.
We will give them the ability to filter the result according to the keywords they are interested in”
Now see the big difference here, I am sure there are certain experts out there who follow that “Story-mode” religiously. But mostly things are explained in the tech-world, especially the Funtional Specs (which they usually treat as a bible of the project, no doubt about it, it is the REAL MEAT)
So the point here I would like to present is… The superb way to present the Functional Specs is using the power of Story, which includes all the detail related to a project in such a way that it won’t become only the “Developers Note” but also shared among the Clients and the Project Owners.
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2 years ago
CliqCliq Colors: Very handy app for newbies and experts designer alike.
I generally use this app to capture the impressive colors and steal them for my ideas.
One annoying factor I noticed the Upper-Right-Corner button. It from first impression, sounds like a Settings Button. Where you can set your preferences. Problem is, it is not exactly like that. You will need this button to export your color plates and along with some settings and I do recommend it would be great if the UI especially Navigation Bar/Buttons must have more precise and general-convention-oriented icons.
Overall, the learning curve is not too steep except the above captioned annoying icon representation.
Update: There is a save button appears once you ready you Color grab. Once you click the save button it does took you to the screen where you can see the previously saved plates. Only issue I noticed is the Buttons are too tiny. And it’s like you need to snipe the tap very precisley.
It would be great if icon on the upper-right corner had a text instead of icon. I would suggest “Archieve” is the suitable for it.
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2 years ago
Curious Interface of ATM Machine
Since I start getting deep in to the rabbit hole of Experience Design. The Experience sensory in my mind keep bugging me with so many annoynace with machines that is scattered at work at home or almost whereever I go and interact with them.
The first annoynace I experienced deep inside me is the ATM Machine.
They are your window to access your securely store stashed in your secret bank accounts!
Well the frustrating moments starts like this:
- Please insert your card
- Enter your pin number, then Press Enter or “#” hash sign.
- Do you want to Check your balance? Yes / No.
- Withdraw, Deposit, Check Balance, Quick Cash … Pick one.
- If Withdraw selected we asked for $20, $40, $60…..$200 and Other Amount
- You clicked “Other Amount” and entered “$15” and it says you can’t do that, and gives you the math problem to solve to get the amount (divide by 2).
- Do you need the receipt? Yex/No
- More Transaction? Yes/No
Wow! So many things that scary devil asks me! Why not it should act in a way I want it to?
- Swipe
- Enter Pin
- From your last transaction you requested $15. Should I spit the same amount. Yex/No ELSE
- Enter the Amount or select the amount ranging from $20 to $200, I picked $200.
- “Thanks, see ya later”.
The reason things I am wondering about is “Remembering my Preferences”, in case of special occasion, I can pick the “I need Receipt this time now” option, if I want to from the different screen, by selecting that option.
But please don’t ask too much question for a small task. Do honor the user time while designing the interface, don’t make them think, and allow them to get thing done in a swift moment, without any error or annoyance.
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2 years ago
CliqCliq Colors: The best app if you are the designer and want to capture the everyday color inspiration.
Annoying factor in this app? The Top-navigation bar, with tiny buttons. Unfortunately if you have thick fingers, you won’t be able to tap it nicely. Design the buttons as they are meant for Humans. Don’t design it for the Zombies / Vampires, because they are not the users of the app. As I am pretty much sure they don’t have iPhone and don’t require any Cell phone. Design it for human.
Buttons are great if they are used it wisely in the app, especially in the Navigation Bar.
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Notes: 1 / 2 years ago from designaday
Teaching Everything
Leslie Jensen-Inman published an excellent article on A List Apart in January titled Elevate Web Design at the University Level. She discusses the fact that universities aren’t able to keep pace with web technologies and that their graduates are not prepared by the time they graduate. It isn’t an empty claim—she interviewed thirty-two web design leaders about the issue. In the article she makes many suggestions as to how institutions and professionals can address the problem.
As a professional interaction designer that works on web-based applications and teaches design, it is an issue that I am quite aware of. As I have explained before, the program in which I teach is a traditional graphic design program, by which I mean web design is not its forte. I’m doing what I can to change that.
The largest problem, as I see it, is that there isn’t enough time to teach everything. Design is not typically taught in High School, so students must go from knowing next to nothing about design to professional in, sometimes, less than four years. In the case of the program at WVU, students don’t have a design class until their sophomore year, after which they must submit a portfolio for acceptance into the graphic design program that continues through the junior and senior years. During that time, there are still other art courses they are required to take, so it is not as if they are strictly focused on design during those two years.
So, how then do you fit in all of the skills that they are expected to know? It’s nigh impossible. And it keeps growing, with the additions of interaction design and the web, service design, etc. When I was a student, I was taught the basics of Photoshop, Freehand, and QuarkXpress in class (although I had already taught myself Freehand). When I say “the basics,” I mean it. It was up to me to continue using the software in my project work and learn it by doing. I was one of a very few that stretched out to learn Director, and the only member of my class to utilize Premiere, Authorware, Infini-D, and Morph during my senior year. In graduate school, there was no instruction in software. I had one class that taught the basics of Java. I learned on my own how to build a webpage in Pagemill, and then later GoLive. I taught myself how to use a Flash competitor that specialized in animating text, the name of which I can’t even remember.
The point I’m trying to make here is that the technology, be it software, hardware, or scripting languages, shouldn’t be the focus of design education. It changes rapidly, and what you learn one year will be obsolete the next. Most of what I was taught in class during my time at WVU and CMU is just as applicable now as it was when I graduated. Students need to understand this and take much of the responsibility upon themselves to stay current with tools and technology.
That’s not to say that faculty shouldn’t worry about staying up-to-date themselves. They should take every opportunity to include the technology in their teaching. For example, I just gave a lecture a couple weeks ago on web typography that was based on a series of HTML and CSS examples. I showed the students how many of the nuances of typography that we had been learning so far could be controlled through a stylesheet. But I don’t have time to teach them HTML and CSS, nor should I. It is my job to instill in them the foundational knowledge of typography that will be applicable regardless of what capabilities CSS 4, 5, or 6 will have.
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2 years ago from bookmarklet
“UI Does Matter” published!
My article about User Experience of iPhone Apps under the title of “UI Does Matter” is published in iPhone Life Magazine Spring 2009 issue, it is available at your Newsstand or you can check it out the digital version at Zinio, it’s on Page 49.
UI Does Matter!
Until next time!
BonGeek
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2 years ago
Interaction Design for Beginners
For last couple of days I was asking on Twitter that how should I get started in Information Architect, Interaction Design & User Experience arena, it all about the “Art & Science of Human Behavior”, whether it is related to creating a website or designing an iPod or a door knob. It is nothing more than understand the Human behavior toward any product usage and usability. I think I was not so lucky to get some response.
During my commute from Fremont, CA to San Francisco, CA in BART, I usually read books either on my iPhone or a classic way … the paper-backs.
These days I am completing one of my favorite book Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks by Luke Wroblewski, while reading about some topic, I came to know about Jack Moffett, at that momet, I try my luck and ask him the same question
“How a person can get basic training in to the Interaction Design field of study? Is he should get some online courses or join the University? Or books are the best bet plus a Mentor who time to time give a beginner done advice?”
I think it was my luck day, got his reply right away… Here is what he said and I asked his permission to share with you guys so anyone like me who is seriously thinking to get in to the Interaction Design, Information Architect or User Experience arena can benefit from it:
“You would find that different designers will have different answers to your question. Personally, I feel that the best way to do it is to attend a University. An on-line course won’t give you same benefits that a studio experience will. You learn as much from your fellow students as you do from your professors when you work beside them every day.
That said, there are the financial aspects. Attending a university is expensive, time-consuming, and location-specific. Some people will choose on-line courses for these reasons. You may still get a quality education in this way, but I don’t believe it will be as rich.
Working with a mentor is an excellent way to learn. Some would argue that this is more beneficial than formal education. Mileage will vary depending on your mentor, of course.
You can learn a lot from books, and there are some good ones out there on the subject, but they cannot replace learning by doing with a mentor or professor, either one.
I would also recommend reading the IxDA forums. Many of the best interaction designers in the industry actively participate in the discussions there. You can search the archives for discussions about the very things you are asking me. http://www.ixda.org/index.php”See, it was that easy! University is the best place to learn the subject, and get along with the Mentor, in any given field we do need a mentor, who help us to start with rolling, crawling to baby-step till we start running and exploring the hidden gems. Second best place is the online-courses, yes there are some draw-backs but if you have mentor at work, would be sufficent.
Thanks to Jack Moffett for his insightful tip. Oh by the way if you are in San Francisco Bay Area, I would be very interested to meet you and the best place as Jack mentioned is a local chapterd of IxDA, email address is follow: sf-local@ixda.org.
Alright folks, next week, I will present you with my findings about a new software that I am evaluating for Wireframe Diagram…Balsamiq Mockups
Till then enjoy the links I usually share on my blog time to time.
Until next time,
Happy Byting!
and User Experience Designer & Software Architect
User Interface Does Matter!
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