Posts tagged "ui"
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6 months 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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7 months 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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7 months ago
Facebook, please do not loot the naive user?
Facebook user are not all ‘tech-savvy’ or ‘power-user’ so why loot them for the sake of trying to be Open?
Hey Facebook, you missed the Twitter bandwagon, so don’t try to copy their idea by trying to putting all the “chit chat” either in Text Format, Video Format or Photo Format in front of Public, wide open.
Do educate your user, without putting the sensitive privacy related options by default “open” or in your lingo “Everyone”.
I think Facebook User Experience is very tricky and shaddy, sometime they do try to make you click on something you really should not be clicking.
Recent action is the updated “Privacy Updates” and the shady interface, take look:
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8 months 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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10 months 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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10 months 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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1 year 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. -
1 year 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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1 year 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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1 year ago
Balsamiq Mockups: UI Elements for iPhone Application Part 1
Balsamiq Mockups from iPhone App wire-framing perspective…. Fortunately for any Experience Designer who religiously follow the wireframes ideas, related to websites or software, targeting any platform: mobile or desktop, is blessing in disguise, yes I used the word disguise, because I noticed whenever someone talk about Balsamiq Mockups they usually love to talk about Website Wireframing and Software Wireframing, but iPhone App UI Wireframing never discussed. I would like to point out the key Mokcup Elements available in the Balsamiq Mockups for iPhone UI Elements. iPhone Menu: You will notice the iPhone Menu Mockup is rich with the elements that needed in any general iPhone App, see figure 1 follow
Lets explore it one by oneFor a simple label “This is a Label”
To mimic the Delete Button type (without quote) “- Delete Button”.
To produce the Add Button : “+ Add Button”.
Sub-Menu UI representation can be achieved by using the “A Sub Menu, >” command, where “A Sub Menu” can be the text of your desire, and “, >” is the real meat here. Here comma “,” will right-aligned the “>” / Greater-Than Symbol. From iPhone Human Interface Guideline, this navigational icon falls in Tab Bars UI elements.
For Label with Sub-Label the syntax is simple “Label and, Sub-Label”, again comma / “,” is to right-aligned any text it is similar as Sub-Menu except we are using Text instead of Symbol to produce the “Label & Sub-Level” effect.
Checkbox / Checkmark is interesting, to produce the “checkbox/checkmark” effect use “v A Checkmark, (>)” syntax. “v” is to produce the “Checkmark” and (>) is for “Detail Disclosuer Button” .
To produce the “Bulleted List” use “*” / asterisk,
Toggle Button’s “On & Off” state sketching can be done by using “Toggle button, ON” and “Toggle button, OFF” command in Balsamiq Mockups.
In my next post, we will explore more iPhone related UI Elements goodies in Balsamiq.
Happy Wireframing!
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1 year 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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1 year ago
Bookmarks: Here I don’t see the Conventions’ proper usage. I downloaded this iPhone app to manage my Social Bookmarks. Alas! Once again hit by the un-usual convention usage in iPhone App arena.
Well this Login/Logout is really not look like a Button, rather it is like a Textbox.
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1 year ago
CraigMobile: The best part is you can browse the CraigsList conveniently while on the go. I would highly recommend you should have 3G Network or WiFi. Now the UI part, it is totally clumsy. Unfortunately it confuses the user and they are not going to able to see the result right away. I would recommend only two field and a button will suffice the quick search. Two fields should be, 1) Text Box to enter the keyword 2) Drop-down list that ask the basic search area on the home page as you can see here : http://sfbay.craigslist.org/ on the left –hand side under “Search Craigslist”.
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1 year ago
Tumblerlette: Don’t scare the people right off the bat, give them a chance to digest the UI at first. That was my first impression when I launch that app, it kept that message “Invalid account info” (very vivid and clean though, iBART should take a notice of that). But hey, I never entered my sign in info. Instead it should welcome user with “Sign-in to get started with Tumbling” !
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1 year ago
BlackJack by MobilityWare: The very best, elegant and beautiful banner-ad approach I have seen in any iPhone app so far. I think the apps relying on banner-ad should consider there approach. Two thumbs up for the beautiful approach by MobilityWare
and User Experience Designer & Software Architect
User Interface Does Matter!
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